Effectiveness Of Group Therapy Research Articles

The Effect of Group Psychotherapy on the Mental Health of Servicemen with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The aim of the article is to determine the conditions for the effective use of group psychotherapy in working with servicemen with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research employed the methods of testing and formative experiment. The sample consisted of the servicemen with PTSD symptoms. The group psychotherapy programme demonstrated uneven effectiveness. The effectiveness of individual and group work in reducing the symptoms of re-experiencing the event is moderate. Manifestations of avoiding traumatic situations did not change significantly in the process of group influence, while a moderate positive influence was recorded in the case of applying an individual approach. Group psychotherapy is the most effective in working with symptoms of emotional arousal of servicemen, which results from trauma. The significance of the implementation of the obtained results lies in the development of effective programmes and protocols of psychotherapy aimed at overcoming post- traumatic stress disorder of veterans and combatants. Further research may focus on expanding the research sample and the implementation of an experimental combination of individual and group psychotherapy in the work with servicemen with PTSD.

Pengelolaan Diri dan Regulasi Emosi dengan Pendekatan Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Kelompok pada Gangguan Mood

Various interventions have been researched that are capable of reducing symptoms of mood disorders, including DBT (Goldstein et al., 2015; Van Dijk et al., 2013). In addition to individual interventions, group therapy interventions have also been widely used and proven to be effective in reducing symptoms of Bipolar disorder in participants (Costa et al., 2012; Rebeca et al., 2020). This study aims to examine the effectiveness of group therapy using a DBT approach on the emotional regulation and self-control of individuals with mood disorders. Group therapy was conducted on ten individuals with mood disorders. The Brief Self-Control Scale and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale were used as tools for quantitative data collection.Meanwhile, observation and interviews were conducted to assess group therapy's effectiveness qualitatively. The hypothesis testing results indicate no significant correlation between the two variables. These findings are helpful for the development of psychological interventions for individuals with mood disorders in Indonesia.

Group psychotherapy for chronic pain: A meta-analysis.

Chronic pain is common among adults and frequently interferes with regular functioning while reducing quality of life. Though pharmacological approaches are used most frequently to treat pain-related issues, the side effects often lead to other problems. Group therapy has been used and studied for decades in treating pain although its general efficacy in this is not clear. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine group therapy's effectiveness in reducing pain intensity and improving adjacent issues. Potential randomized clinical trials were selected from various databases and included if published between 1990 and 2020, investigated group treatment's efficacy for pain-related concerns, measured pain intensity, included a comparison condition, and reported sufficient data in each trial arm at the first postassessment. We included 29 studies representing 4,571 participants in group therapy being treated for pain. The analysis yielded a significant, small effect when group was contrasted against passive control groups (g = 0.26, 95% CI [0.11, 0.41], p = .001) on the reduction of pain intensity. Two variables were found to moderate group therapy's efficacy: gender composition of groups and theoretical orientation. Although effects on reducing pain intensity are small, group psychotherapy should be considered a viable treatment option for chronic pain patients given the lower risks of side effects compared to pharmaceutical analgesics and comparable effects compared to other chronic conditions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The effect of group psychotherapy on quality of life of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or endocrine therapy during Covid-19 pandemic: One center experience.

e24133 Background: The announcement of the pandemic by WHO had a great impact on global mental health. Mental disorders like stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, insomnia, denial, anger, and fear affected the population worldwide. Cognitive-behavioral techniques are effective in improving the control of symptoms, the affective state and coping with the disease. Methods: Female patients were offered to take part in the study by their oncologists. Inclusion criteria included female patients who were diagnosed with cancer during the last 5 years. Intervention included - Online group psychotherapy which was conducted for 3 consecutive months, three times per week, using the interactive ZOOM platform. The Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire QLQ-C30 was used to assess QoL of participants. We asked patients to fill the ERTC questionnaire twice, before the first and after the last psychotherapy sessions. Results: Total of 25 patients aged 18-55 were included in the study, 72% were receiving hormonal therapy, and 28% were receiving chemotherapy. Majority of patients (18) were diagnosed with breast, 4 with cervical and 1 with uterine and 2 with ovarian cancer in last 5 years. All patients were white Caucasian females. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed no difference between groups on pre-RS score; But the study showed significant improvement in post RS (EORTC QLQ-C30) in patients with hormone therapy (Goodness of Fit-R square-0.4471, P-value-0.0024, 95% Confidence Intervals-0.4200 to 1.626), compare to patients with chemotherapy (Goodness of Fit-R square-0.003372, P-value- 0.9016, 95% Confidence Intervals--1.743 to 1.929).All measures were presented as mean with standard deviation and the level of significance was defined as DELTA(D) = 0.05. Conclusions: According to our research, group psychotherapy had a positive effect on quality of life of cancer patients undergoing hormonal therapy and showed no significant impact on patients treated with chemotherapy. More research and a larger sample size is needed for a better interpretation of results.

Adjuvant psychotherapy in early-stage bipolar disorder: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundBipolar disorders are serious illnesses with a chronic course and a high rate of relapse. Typically, bipolar disorders onset during adolescence or early adulthood, with patients experiencing significant personal and social costs as a consequence of their illness. Despite this, to date, there is limited (controlled) evidence regarding the effectiveness of psychotherapy during the critical stages of the disorder (e.g., early onset). Some preliminary studies suggest that targeted, tailored early interventions in particular may improve disease prognosis. The proposed study examines the effectiveness of group psychotherapy on relapse prevention, global adaptive functioning, and neuropsychological functioning in early-stage bipolar disorder.MethodsIn this multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT), 300 patients with bipolar disorder are randomized to one of two group psychotherapies: Specific Emotional-Cognitive Therapy (SECT; intervention group) or Emotion-Focused Supportive Therapy (EFST; active control group). Each therapy comprises of a total of 48-h sessions (delivered once a month) over a period of 4 months. Assessments take place at baseline (t1); 6 months follow-up, i.e., post-intervention (t2); 12 months follow-up (t3); and 18 months follow-up (t4), whereby 18 months follow-up is the primary time point of interest.DiscussionThe goal of this study is to test the effects of an innovative, specific group therapy relative to an active control condition in terms of rates of relapse, global functioning, and neuropsychological functioning. Pending the outcomes of the trial, it will be possible to establish a firm evidence base for accessible group psychotherapy adjuvant to routine psychiatric care for individuals with bipolar disorder.Trial registrationUSA: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02506322. Registered on 19 December 2014; Germany: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00006013. Registered on21 May 2015

Ergenlik Dönemi Obezitesinin Tedavisinde Grup Psikoterapisi Etkinliği: Prospektif Kontrollü Bir Çalışma

Ergenlik Dönemi Obezitesinin Tedavisinde Grup Psikoterapisi Etkinliği: Prospektif Kontrollü Bir Çalışma

Application of group psychotherapy in young and middle-aged patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis

Objective To explore the effects of group psychotherapy on posttraumatic growth (PTG) , anxiety and depression of young and middle-aged patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and to provide a reference for improving patients' PTG and reducing their negative emotion. Methods Totally 78 patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing regular hemodialysis in the Hemodialysis Center of a Class III Grade A hospital in Harbin between April and December 2018 were selected by convenient sampling and randomized divided into control (n=38) and experimental (n=40) groups. Patients in the control group received conventional nursing care and follow-up visits, while patients in the experimental group underwent group psychotherapy for 2 months. Chinese Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) , Self-Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Depression Scale (SDS) were used to assess PTG, anxiety and depression of the two groups before and after intervention. A t test was conducted to compare the scores before and after intervention. Results At last, a total of 36 patients in the experimental group and 37 patients in the control group completed the study. After group psychotherapy, the PTGI score of the experimental group was (85.89±11.02) , higher than (73.55±9.14) of the control group, and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05) . The SAS and SDS scores of the experimental group were (47.23±5.18) and (40.38±8.34) , lower than (55.38±6.28) and (44.16±7.09) of the control group, and there were statistically significant differences between the two groups (P<0.05) . Conclusions Group psychotherapy can improve the PTG of young and middle-aged patients undergoing MHD, and reduce their anxiety and depression, which is worthy promoting in clinical practice. Key words: Dialysis; Young and middle-aged; Group psychotherapy; Posttraumatic growth; Anxiety; Depression

Effects of group psychotherapy on depressive and anxious symptoms, self‐esteem and social adaptation in college students

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the changes in anxious and depressive symptomatology, self‐esteem and social adaptation in college students who attended group psychotherapy for 6 months.MethodA quasi‐experimental, one‐group pretest–post‐test design was utilised. The effect of group psychotherapy on the symptoms of anxiety, depression, self‐esteem and social adjustment was evaluated in 41 college students, with depressive‐anxious disorders as principal diagnoses. For six months, they were treated with interactional‐type psychotherapy and with pharmacological treatment if necessary.ResultsSignificant improvements were found in depressive symptoms (p = .0001), state anxiety (p = .001), self‐esteem evaluated with the Coopersmith Self‐Esteem Inventory (p = .039) and with the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale (p = .024) and social adaptation (p = .013). No effect was observed by gender or by adding pharmacological treatment.ConclusionsGroup psychotherapy may be useful in reducing depressive and anxious symptoms, and improving self‐esteem and social adaptation.

Effectiveness of therapy group in women with localized breast cancer

Background/ObjectiveBreast cancer causes high levels of anxiety and depression, deteriorating quality of life of patients. Several studies have found that group therapy reduces depression and anxiety also improves the quality of life. The aim of this study is to analyze group therapy effectiveness in emotional state and quality of life in women with breast cancer after finalized medical treatments. MethodParticipants in this study were 100 adult women diagnosed of breast cancer non-mestastasic and were divided into two types of intervention groups (Self-esteem-Social Skills and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy). Evaluation instruments were questionnaire Functional Assessment of Breast-cancer Therapy (FACT-B) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). ResultsA statistically significant effect of group therapy in reducing anxiety and depression were observed. Quality of life and emotional well-being significantly improved. These effects remain three months after intervention. ConclusionsThe results show that the psychological intervention group is efficient to improve emotional state and quality of life of women with breast cancer.

Effect of group psychotherapy in light of glasser approach on risky behavior

Effect of group psychotherapy in light of glasser approach on risky behavior

First Experiences with the "Questionnaire for the Assessment of Side Effects and Negative Experiences in Group Therapy" (NUGE-24)

This report describes the development of a questionnaire aiming in assessing unwanted effects of group psychotherapy and side effects of the group setting. Based upon interviews with experts and considering a model differentiating group related, therapist related strain within groups, stress caused by other members and subjective excessive demands, a first version of the questionnaire was developed and tested in the clinical field using heterogeneous groups. The data set from this sample (N=168 patients) was used to construct a 24-item short version with 6 items per scale reflecting the 4 contents. A first comparison of different groups related to unwanted experiences and side effects indicates that the NUGE-questionnaire might be useful in differentially assessing these effects. This should now be tested in more systematic studies.

Effects of Group Psychotherapy in College Students: A Six and Twelve Month Evaluation Comparison

Group psychotherapy expects to afford more lasting changes on patients’ symptomatology, as well as reinforce positive aspects of self-esteem and social adjustment. However, few investigations show the effects over an extended period of intervention. This study aimed to assess changes in symptoms of anxiety, depression, self-esteem and social adjustment within a period of six and twelve months in college students who attended interactional group psychotherapy. A longitudinal study was carried out with college students who attended group psychotherapy, using the database of forty-one of the students who stayed for six months and 23 of them, for 12 months. Significant improvements were observed at 6 and 12 months in anxiety-state and depressive symptoms compared to baseline data, but there were no changes between 6 and 12 months. The comparison between well-being aspects such as self-esteem and social adaptation showed improvements mostly, up to 12 months, without any significant changes between 6 and 12 months. Also, there was observed a correlation between well-being punctuations (self-esteem and social adaptation) and the decrease of depressive and anxiety symptomatology. Long-term group psychotherapy demonstrates a decrease of symptomatology at six months of intervention, and they remain at 12 months; however, other aspects of patient’s well-being, are enhanced to a higher level until 12 months.

Effects of Group Psychotherapy on Young Adults’ Romantic and Career Functioning

A growing number of young adults have difficulties meeting developmental challenges and experience psychological distress as a consequence of which they seek help to address these difficulties. A time-limited group psychotherapy focusing on addressing age-related tasks was developed to meet the needs of young people. Thirty-one young people seeking psychological help participated in 16 to 18 sessions of group psychotherapy. Psychological distress and goal pursuit capabilities were assessed at the beginning and the end of therapy. Compared with young people on a waiting list, participants undergoing group psychotherapy showed a significant decrease in psychological distress and increase in adaptive goal pursuit and independent functioning. Our findings indicate the importance of integrating a developmental perspective in group intervention to enhance young adults’ competence in handling age-related tasks, as well as to improve their well-being.

Effects of group psychotherapy on anger management following acquired brain injury

Objective: To assess the effects of an anger management group programme for patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) on self-reported anger and to identify specific effects of intervention components at different time-points.Participants: Twenty-six participants with ABI were randomized, 24 started the programme and 19 completed it.Design: A paired-randomization was held following the first baseline (T0) and a second baseline (T1) was held several weeks later. One group (n = 8) started with an 8-week anger management programme followed by a 4-week intervention focusing on the psychosocial impact of brain injury. This order was reversed in the other group (n = 11). Assessment was carried-out every 4 weeks (T1–T4) during the 12-week intervention period.Main outcome measures: The Aggression Questionnaire-12, The State-Trait Anger and Expression Inventory-2 and The Multidimensional Anger Reaction Scale.Results: Anger levels did not significantly change between T0 and T1, but decreased significantly at T4. Adaptive anger coping strategies also increased following intervention. Inwardly expressed anger decreased following the anger management programme compared to the psychosocial adjustment programme.Conclusions: Group psychotherapy may improve parameters of anger management in patients with ABI. However, specific effects of different components of the anger management programme merit further investigation.

Effectiveness of Group Psychotherapy in Patients with Cancer

Cerezo, M. V., Ortiz-Tallo, M., Cardenal, V., & De La Torre-Luque, A. (2014). Positive psychology group intervention for breast cancer patients: A randomized trial. Psychological Reports: Disabilit...

Group psychotherapy for female adult survivors of interpersonal psychological trauma: a preliminary study in Scotland

Background: There is limited evidence on manualised group interventions that facilitate the development of trauma recovery skills, affect regulation and meaning making for survivors of interpersonal trauma.Aim: The study aimed to provide preliminary evidence on the effectiveness of group psychotherapy (based on Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model, TREM) for psychological distress in adult survivors of interpersonal trauma.Method: Participants were a consecutive series of female patients (n = 71) from the waiting lists of five National Health Service (NHS) Boards in Scotland. Participants completed a set of self-rated measures (PCL, CORE, SCL-90, DES and RSES) at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up.Results: Effect sizes were small to medium across measures and assessment points at post-treatment and follow-up. With regard to clinical significance, at post-treatment, a proportion of 9.9% to 54.9% of participants achieved clinical significance across measures. At follow-up, a proportion of 9.9% to 62.0% of participants achieved clinical significance across measures.Conclusions: Group psychotherapy may be useful for a proportion of participants and especially so for symptoms of dissociation and self-esteem. Survivors of interpersonal trauma should be offered a choice of individual or group treatment modalities to reduce drop-out rate and maximise outcomes.

Effects of Group Psychotherapy, Individual Counseling, Methylphenidate, and Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with high prevalence in adulthood. There is a recognized need to assess the efficacy of psychotherapy in adult ADHD. To evaluate the efficacy of cognitive behavioral group psychotherapy (GPT) compared with individual clinical management (CM) and that of methylphenidate hydrochloride compared with placebo. Prospective, multicenter, randomized clinical trial of 18- to 58-year-old outpatients with ADHD from 7 German study centers. Patients were recruited between January 2007 and August 2010, treatment was finalized in August 2011, and final follow-up assessments occurred in March 2013. Sessions of GPT and CM were held weekly for the first 12 weeks and monthly thereafter (9 months). Patients received either methylphenidate or placebo for 1 year. The primary outcome was the change in the ADHD Index of the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale from baseline to the end of the 3-month intensive treatment (blinded observer ratings). Secondary outcomes included ADHD ratings after 1 year, blinded observer ratings using the Clinical Global Impression Scale, and self-ratings of depression. Among 1480 prescreened patients, 518 were assessed for eligibility, 433 were centrally randomized, and 419 were analyzed as randomized. After 3 months, the ADHD Index all-group baseline mean of 20.6 improved to adjusted means of 17.6 for GPT and 16.5 for CM, with no significant difference between groups. Methylphenidate (adjusted mean, 16.2) was superior to placebo (adjusted mean, 17.9) (difference, -1.7; 97.5% CI, -3.0 to -0.4; P = .003). After 1 year, treatment effects remained essentially stable. Descriptive analyses showed that methylphenidate was superior to placebo in patients assigned to GPT (difference, -1.7; 95% CI, -3.2 to -0.1; P = .04) or CM (difference, -1.7; 95% CI, -3.3 to -0.2; P = .03). Regarding depression, no significant differences were found. In contrast, GPT was superior to CM for all visits in the Clinical Global Impression global assessment of effectiveness. Highly structured group intervention did not outperform individual CM with regard to the primary outcome. Psychological interventions resulted in better outcomes during a 1-year period when combined with methylphenidate as compared with placebo. isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN54096201.

Effect of group psychotherapy on the alleviation of psychiatric nurses' compassion fatigue

Objective To explore the influence of group psychotherapy on the alleviation of psychiatric nurses' compassion fatigue. Methods A total of 190 psychiatric nurses were investigated by compassion fatigue scale. Forty psychiatric nurses were selected to accept group psychotherapy for 10 times. The scores of compassion fatigue scale were compared before and after group psychotherapy and the influencing factors of therapeutic effect were analyzed. Results Thirty-eight psychiatric nurses had accomplished the intervention and follow-up. Compared with before group psychotherapy, the total scores of compassion fatigue scale and the scores of mental tension, passive behavior, doubtful ability and loss of morale among 6 dimensions after group psychotherapy were improved: (83.28±7.01) scores vs. (102.60±7.24) scores, (2.66±0.42) scores vs. (3.11±0.49) scores, (2.02±0.36) scores vs. (2.55±0.41) scores, (1.99±0.33) scores vs. (2.65±0.38) scores, (1.69±0.34) scores vs. (2.76±0.44) scores, and there were significant differences, P<0.05. Regression analysis found that the work life, education level were correlated with the deduction rate of the total scores of compassion fatigue scale, t=2.858, 3.099, P<0.01. Conclusion Group psychotherapy can help psychiatric nurses to alleviate their compassion fatigue. Key words: Nurses; Compassion fatigue; Group psychotherapy; Psychiatry

Effectiveness of therapy groups using a cognitive behavioral approach to decrease aggressiveness of prisoners with PTSD

Background: Lack of control on irritation among prisoners afflicted with PTSD is a common symptom. Objectives: This research studied the effectiveness of a therapy group with a cognitive behavioral approach to decrease aggressiveness. Materials and Methods: This research was semi-empirical and the research plan was pre-test/post-test with a control group. The statistical community of this research consisted of prisoners afflicted with PTSD after a current event (30 prisons) in the central prison in Kermanshah. All subjects were recruited from and divided into two 15 member groups by random selection. These groups were tested by the Eysenck aggressiveness test. Then intervention was done on the test group using the O’Neill treatment protocol over 8 and a 75-minute sessions. At the end, both groups were reassessed. The research data were analyzed by covariance statistical interpretation. Results: The results show that aggressiveness among the study group after intervention decreased significantly. Conclusions: According to these findings, it can be concluded that the cognitive-behavioral treatment approach is an effective method in reducing aggression disorders associated with PTSD.

Group psychotherapy's impact on trust in veterans with PTSD: a pilot study.

Interpersonal trust is fundamental for the recovery of trauma survivors and the effectiveness of group psychotherapy. Yet there is limited research on the relationship between interpersonal trust and group psychotherapy. Twenty-one male Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (6 in a long-term process group [LTP], 10 in a short-term cognitive processing therapy group [CPT], and 5 treatment-as-usual controls) were evaluated before and after group psychotherapy using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Military Version (PCL-M) and an in-vivo measure of interpersonal trust, the Iterated Trust Game. Three (14.3%) of the veterans were African American, 9 were Caucasian (42.9%), and 9 were Hispanic (42.9%); they averaged 61.9 years of age (SD = 1.8 years). Change in PCL-M scores differed by group (controls: -1.0 ± 3.7; CPT: -15.5 ± 6.8; LTP: -1.3 ± 12.2; p = .003). CPT group subjects improved more than controls (p < .001) and trended toward more improvement than the LTP group (p = .081). Members of the LTP group, compared to nonprocess group participants, showed greater initial (p = .042), and posttherapy trust (p = .003). Posttreatment, interpersonal trust was significantly higher in the LTP than the CPT group (p < .001). These results suggest that CPT treatment may be better than LTP treatment for improving PTSD symptoms, but LTP therapy may be better than CPT therapy for improving interpersonal trust in veterans with PTSD. They suggest important roles for both group treatments and point to the value of interpersonal trust in successful recovery from PTSD.