Using the psychodrama in adolescents with social anxiety disorder

Abstract

Objective: In this study we aimed to investigate the properties and strong and weak parts of the psychodrama group therapy techniques in adolescents with social anxiety disorder and tried to create a psychodrama group therapy model for adolescents. Methods: The group consists of adolescents aged 16-18 years old who were diagnosed with social anxiety disorder in the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic of a research hospital for psychiatric and neurologic disorders in Istanbul and who were volunteer to join the group. The adolescents with a psychotic disorder, autism spectrum disorder or mental retardation were not included in the study. The group was started when the number of volunteer adolescents have reached ten and group meetings were planned as once a week lasting 1.5-2 hours. Results: In this group therapy program using psychodrama techniques, totally 14 sessions were done. The total time of sessions have changed between 70 and 150 minutes according to the needs of the group and the related topic. Minimum 2 group members and maximum 8 group members attended to the group sessions. We observed in the meetings with low attendance, co-therapists’ acting and taking roles as group members maintained the group permanency and increased the assertiveness of the inhibited group members. Also we observed that spontaneity and creativity increased if the co-therapists joined the group games. Using symbolic items like toys facilitated the expression of emotions in this group for the adolescents. Discussion: While using psychodrama with adolescents with social anxiety disorder in order to minimize the problems of low attendance and warrant the group permanency it is useful to conduct the group with at least two co-therapists and to begin with more than ten or twelve group members at the beginning. Groups should be conducted weekly and interest areas of adolescents should be taken into account while preparing group games and symbolic items should be used often