Evidence Library

The Research Behind WithMarsha

WithMarsha uses source-led DBT education, responsible AI boundaries, and cautious digital-health framing. Below are the clinical and research sources that guide our content standards and product boundaries.

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Linehan et al. (1991)

The foundational RCT demonstrating DBT’s superiority over treatment-as-usual for reducing self-harm and inpatient days among individuals with borderline personality disorder.

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Behaviour Research and Therapy

Neacsiu et al. (2010)

Examined DBT skills use as a mediator and outcome, supporting the importance of making skills practice visible enough to review.

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Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation

Wilks et al. (2021)

Systematic review of DBT mobile apps; concluded clinician-informed design and evidence-based structure are key for safety and engagement.

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Frontiers in Psychology

Linardon et al. (2024)

Evaluated self-guided internet-delivered DBT skills training in a specific researched context; useful for cautious digital-DBT framing, not WithMarsha outcome claims.

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JMIR Mental Health

Rizvi et al. (2020)

Studied mobile app integration into DBT and supports the adjunctive framing that apps can help carry therapy strategies into real-world settings.

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How we apply the evidence

  • Daily skills practice: Our morning prompts and evening reflections are designed to make skills use visible and reviewable, consistent with DBT skills-use research.
  • Safety guardrails: Crisis copy, disclaimers, and product boundaries reflect the limits identified in DBT app reviews and clinical guidance.
  • Therapist-adjacent support: App-based notes and reflections are framed as practice support that can inform human care, not replace it.

Editorial standard

How to read DBT and digital-health evidence here

This page is an evidence map, not a claim that WithMarsha has been clinically tested. We use research to shape content, boundaries, and feature design while keeping product claims narrow.

Source quality comes first

Clinical and DBT claims should prefer official Linehan/Guilford materials, DBT-LBC, NICE/VA guidance, PubMed/PMC, JMIR, Springer, and similar peer-reviewed sources.

Do not transfer outcomes to WithMarsha

Research on DBT, app-assisted DBT, or internet-delivered DBT does not prove WithMarsha-specific clinical outcomes unless WithMarsha itself is studied.

Comprehensive DBT is broader than content

Adherent DBT involves clinical structure and professional judgment beyond self-guided skill education.

Digital support claims stay adjunctive

Digital tools can support skill recall, reflection, and practice transfer when framed as education or homework reinforcement.

Clinical boundaries

WithMarsha is educational DBT skills support. It does not provide diagnosis, treatment planning, risk assessment, therapy, crisis intervention, or clinician review.

Looking for more?

We regularly translate new DBT and digital mental health findings on the WithMarsha blog. Start with our beginner’s guide to DBT or explore detailed skill breakdowns and therapist Q&As.

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