Psychological Group Therapy Research Articles

Terapia psicológica grupal y su efecto en ansiedad, depresión y niveles de BDNF en candidatos a trasplante renal

The objective of the present study is to describe the effect of a group intervention on the levels of anxiety and depression associated with the level of BDNF and cognitive impairment of patients who are candidates for kidney transplantationthrough a pre-experimental study. 25 adult patients of both gendersof a High Specialty Medical Unitparticipated in the study. The Beck depression and Golberg anxiety inventories and the Folstein Mini Mental State Exam were applied. At the beginning and end of the intervention, blood and urine samples were taken to analyze BDNF levels. A group intervention with a brief orientation cognitive behavioral approach was carried out. The results in the variables of anxiety (p = 0.002) and depression (p = 0.04) show significant differences before and after the interventionreducing the levels of these variables considerably; Regarding BDNF levels and cognitive impairment, no significant differences were found.This study shows the usefulness of group psychological therapies for the benefit of these patients as well as the need to carry out more studies that evaluate biological markers related to the pathologies presented.

Pilot Study Outcomes and Recommendations from Developing an Australian Residential Treatment for Eating Disorders

Individuals with eating disorders often face difficulty accessing sufficiently intensive, recovery-focused treatment. Residential treatment may fill a gap in the spectrum of care, offering 24-h support in a more home-like environment than a hospital and using a holistic approach including individual and group psychological therapy, meal support, and lived experience staff. As residential treatment has not previously been examined in Australia, the current study aimed to document the development, treatment components, and structure of this first Australian residential service for eating disorders and provide a pilot of its treatment outcomes. Preliminary outcomes are included from a sample of 19 individuals from the first six months of admissions, including eating disorder symptoms, eating disorder-related impairment, anxiety, and depression. Significant pre- to post-treatment improvement was found in total eating disorder psychopathology, dietary restraint, eating concerns, body mass index, eating disorder-related impairment, and depression, but not from pre-treatment to a six-month follow-up. Pilot outcomes were positive at end-of-treatment but require further clinical evaluation to examine follow-up effects. Clinical insights are discussed from the establishment of this new treatment service, including recommendations for clinicians involved in the current roll-out of residential programs across Australia.

Psychological Group Interventions for Reducing Distress Symptoms in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review.

Healthcare workers exposed to emergencies and chronic stressors are at high risk of developing mental health problems. This review synthesized existing studies of group psychological therapy to reduce distress symptoms in healthcare workers (i.e., as complex and heterogeneous emotional states, characterized by the presence of symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout, anxiety, depression and moral injury). Searches were conducted using PRISMA guidelines and databases such as PubMed, PsycINFO, Medline and Web of Science, along with manual searches of reference lists of relevant articles. The search returned a total of 1071 randomized trials, of which 23 met the inclusion criteria. Of the total studies, nine were mindfulness interventions, seven were cognitive behavioural programmes, one was a programme based on acceptance and commitment therapy, one was an EMDR protocol and two focused on systemic and art therapy. Most studies aimed to reduce burnout, anxiety and depression; only three focused on post-traumatic stress disorder, and no studies were found that addressed moral injury. The results suggested that group interventions could be an effective tool to improve the mental health of healthcare workers and reduce their symptoms of distress, although many of the studies have methodological deficiencies. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Psychosocial interventions for survivors of rape and sexual assault experienced during adulthood.

Psychosocial interventions for survivors of rape and sexual assault experienced during adulthood.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Psychological and Adventure-based Multicomponent Therapeutic Program for Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: A Pilot Study.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health problem with different negative consequences for women's mental health. This pilot study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention for battered women using a comparison group design to analyze improvement in self-esteem, self-concept, self-efficacy, body dissatisfaction, and depression. The intervention consisted of an eight-session multicomponent intervention program based on the combination of group psychological therapy and adventure activities. The study sample originally consisted of 34 women IPV victims. Self-report psychological assessment was conducted during the pre-test and post-test while interviews were conducted during the post-test among the experimental group. The results of this pilot study suggest the efficacy of the cognitive-behavioral multicomponent intervention on self-esteem, self-efficacy, and depression in the IPV victims from the experimental group. We conclude that these findings support the efficacy of this psychological intervention program. Practical implications and suggestions are also discussed.

Patients' Lived Experience in a Multicomponent Intervention for Fibromyalgia Syndrome in Primary Care: A Qualitative Interview Study.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) disrupts patients’ biopsychosocial spheres. A multicomponent intervention (MCI) program, which combined health education, cognitive behavioral therapy, and physical activity, was conducted in South Catalonia’s primary care centers with the aim of improving symptom self-management and quality of life. A qualitative interview study was carried out to understand patients’ lived experiences during the intervention program. Sampled purposively, 10 patients were interviewed via phone calls and face-to-face. The encounters were audio-recorded, verbatim transcribed, and analyzed through thematic analysis. As a result, four themes emerged: legitimizing fibromyalgia through the MCI, the MCI as a socializing experience, learning how to live with FMS through the MCI, and room for improving the MCI. Participants agreed on the program being an insightful experience that promoted illness knowledge and acceptance and that improved their coping skills and symptom self-management. The inclusion of additional psychological guidance, expressive psychological group therapy, and providing relatives with information were proposed for enhancing the program. Our findings have contributed to gaining insight into the subjective impact of the MCI and identifying new therapeutic targets to tailor the program to patients’ needs, which will hopefully increase its effectiveness and improve their quality of life.

Teaching Metacognitive strategies on Metacognitive Behavior and Internet Self-Efficacy of Female Students at Risk of Internet Addiction during the COVID-19

Background: Adolescents, for whom the Internet is an indispensable part of their daily life, are the most significant group at risk of Internet addiction. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of metacognitive strategies on metacognitive behavior and internet self-efficacy of female students at risk of Internet addiction during the COVID-19 . Methods: The present research was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistics population for the academic year 2020-2021 comprised all secondary schools' females in Tehran's 15 district. In this study, purposeful sampling process was applied. Primarily, one school (Ebne Sina) was randomly selected from the secondary schools of region 15 in Tehran, in the second grade. Three classes were chosen from each grade in the form of Lottery and among 360 students, 30 students who were most at risk for internet addiction were randomly selected and assigned in the experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups via shad application. The experimental group received metacognitive strategies training for 8 treatment sessions (90 minutes for each session). The data were analyzed with SPSS-23 and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: Mean and SD of age in the Transactional Analysis and the control groups were 15.87 ± 0.734 and 16±0.816, respectively. Moreover, our findings showed that the experimental and control groups differ significantly in their metacognitive behavior (p =0.01and F=55.349) and internet use self-efficacy during pretest control (p =0.01 and F=43.573). Conclusions: The result of our study showed that metacognitive strategies had significant effects on Metacognitive Behavior and Internet self-efficacy of female students at risk of Internet addiction during the COVID-19 . Therefore, psychological group therapy could be suggested to improve metacognitive behavior and increase internet self-efficacy and thus reduce behavioral and social damages.

Pharmacological, Psychological, and Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Interventions for Treating Depression After Stroke.

Pharmacological, Psychological, and Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Interventions for Treating Depression After Stroke.

Pharmacological, psychological, and non-invasive brain stimulation interventions for treating depression after stroke.

Pharmacological, psychological, and non-invasive brain stimulation interventions for treating depression after stroke.

Couple and family therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Couple and family therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Preventing cognitive decline in chronic schizophrenia: Long-term effectiveness of integrated psychological therapy and emotional management training.

Effective group psychological therapies in the chronic phases of schizophrenia are rare. This paper describes the results of testing a group therapy that includes integrated psychological therapy (IPT) together with an adaptation of emotional management therapy (EMT), delivered in a sample of outpatients with chronic schizophrenia. 42 patients received the psychological intervention during eight months and they were assessed at baseline, posttreatment and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up. The program was well accepted, and there was only one dropped out during the therapy and 2 hospital admissions during the 20 months of contact with patients along the study. Improvements were observed in cognition, social functioning, and quality of life after the treatment, and these results were maintained to the long-term follow-up. To summarize, patients were better 12 months after the treatment than in baseline. the integrative psychological program applied was effective and it was well accepted and could be used in public mental health services as a protective factor, reducing hospitalizations, preventing cognitive decline, helping patients to manage their daily worries and making them feel more supported.

Eficacia de la intervención psicológica grupal en atención primaria

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to analyse the efficacy of a trans-diagnostic psychological therapy group aimed at reducing anxiety symptomatology. This was delivered within a Primary Care setting by clinical psychology. Material and methodsThe assessment was completed through the outcome measure Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Short Form A (CORE-SFA). The intervention consisted of a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy group that delivered one session a week for 4 weeks. Components of this therapy included: psycho-education, cognitive restructuring, assertiveness training, sleep hygiene, problem solving, relaxation techniques, and time management. The data for this study was collected between January 2015 and October 2016, with a sample of 48 patients. ResultsResults from the data collected demonstrated a statistically significant reduction of the anxiety symptomatology. Moreover, 79.2% of the sample was discharged from services following this group intervention. ConclusionsThe clinical implications of this study are discussed, supporting the efficacy of a trans-diagnostic Cognitive Behavioural Therapy group in a Primary Care setting for the treatment of symptoms of sub-clinical anxiety and depression.

3.22 Meta-Analysis of the Outcome of RCTs of Preventative or Early Intervention Universal Group Psychological Therapies in Under 18s

School-based interventions aiming to intervene early in mental disorder in young people have been tested since the 1990s. Most previous reviews looked at both targeted and universal interventions; we have only compared randomized controlled trials of universal interventions, considering them as an implementable preventative intervention at a public health level. We have included other outcomes of therapy, such as self-esteem, well-being, resilience, and mentalization, to also compare the effectiveness of interventions on outcomes that appear to be associated with prevention.

Improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT) for people with bipolar disorder: Summary of outcomes from the IAPT demonstration site

Access to structured psychological therapy recommended for bipolar disorder (BD) is poor. The UK NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies initiative commissioned a demonstration site for BD to explore the outcomes of routine delivery of psychological therapy in clinical practice, which this report summarises.All clinically diagnosed patients with BD who wanted a psychological intervention and were not in acute mood episode were eligible. Patients were offered a 10-session group intervention (Mood on Track) which delivered NICE congruent care. Outcomes were evaluated using an open (uncontrolled), pre-post design.Access to psychological therapy increased compared to preceding 6 years by 54%. 202 people began treatment; 81% completed >5 sessions; median 9 sessions (range 6–11). Pre-post outcomes included personal recovery (primary outcome), quality of life, work and social functioning, mood and anxiety symptoms (secondary outcomes). Personal recovery significantly improved from pre to post-therapy; medium effect-size (d = 0.52). Secondary outcomes all improved (except mania symptoms) with smaller effect sizes (d = 0.20–0.39). Patient satisfaction was high. Use of crisis services, and acute admissions were reduced compared to pre-treatment.It is possible to deliver group psychological therapy for bipolar disorder in a routine NHS setting. Improvements were observed in personal recovery, symptoms and wider functioning with high patient satisfaction and reduced service use.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of group treatments for adults with symptoms associated with complex post-traumatic stress disorder

BackgroundNo previous meta-analyses have specifically investigated the effectiveness of psychological group therapy for symptoms associated with complex interpersonal trauma, including whether trauma memory processing (TMP) therapies are superior to psychoeducational approaches alone. MethodsA systematic review identified 36 randomised control trials (RCTs) which were included in the meta-analysis. ResultsLarge significant effect sizes were evident for TMP interventions when compared to usual care for three outcome domains including: PTSD (k = 6, g = -0.98, 95% CI -1.53, -0.43), Depression (k = 7, g = -1.12, 95% CI -2.01, -0.23) and Psychological Distress (k = 6, g = -0.98, 95% CI 1.66, -0.40). When TMP and psychoeducation interventions were directly compared, results indicated a small non-significant effect in favour of the former for PTSD symptoms, (k = 4, g = -0.34, 95% CI -1.05, 0.36) and small non-significant effect sizes in favour of the latter for Depression (k = 3, g = 0.29, 95% CI -0.83, 1.4) and Psychological Distress (k = 6, g = 0.19, 95% CI -0.34, 0.71). LimitationsHeterogeneity and a limited number of high quality RCTs, particularly in the Substance Misuse and Dissociation domains, resulted in uncertainty regarding meta-analytical estimates and subsequent conclusions. ConclusionsResults suggest that TMP interventions are useful for traumatic stress whereas non-TMP interventions can be useful for symptoms of general distress (e.g. anxiety and depression). Thus, both TMP and psychoeducation can be useful for the treatment of complex interpersonal trauma symptoms and further research should unravel appropriate sequencing and dose of these interventions.

On the Road to Recovery psychological therapy versus treatment as usual for forensic mental health patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled feasibility trial

BackgroundOn the Road to Recovery (OTRTR) is a brief low intensity group psychological therapy that aims to improve patients’ insight into their mental disorder and develop adaptive coping skills to help manage distress. OTRTR is currently delivered in forensic mental health services in Scotland. However, to date, this therapy has not been evaluated as to its effectiveness or safety for forensic patients.MethodsThis is a parallel-group feasibility randomized controlled trial with single-blind assessments comparing OTRTR therapy to treatment as usual (TAU) for forensic mental health patients. Fifty participants will be recruited from high, medium, and low secure forensic mental health services in Scotland. Participants will receive OTRTR for approximately 12 weeks or continue treatment as usual for 12 weeks. The trial’s primary aims relate to testing the acceptability and feasibility of key trial procedures that would be necessary for a definitive RCT of OTRTR. The secondary aims include estimating therapeutic effect sizes on clinical outcomes including insight and coping skills. The study design also features an adverse event monitoring plan to estimate the safety of OTRTR for participants, as well as use of intensive longitudinal methods to identify “key ingredients” to the OTRTR therapy protocol.DiscussionThis study will inform the design and sample size for a future full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT), which will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of the On the Road to Recovery intervention in improving forensic mental health patients’ clinical insight and coping skills.Trial registrationISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN75126867 registered 27 July 2017

Self-confidence Group Psychological Intervention of College Students Based on EEG Test Technology - Take Patients with Social Anxiety Disorder as an Example

In order to verify whether the self-confidence group psychological intervention therapy can effectively alleviate psychiatric and neuropathy diseases, this paper takes the college students with social anxiety disorder as the research object and uses the brain evoked potential instrument-P300 detection technology as the research tool to conduct comparative analysis of the latency and amplitude of each P300 index between patients with social anxiety and normal people. At the same time, the self-confidence group psychological intervention plan is designed to perform intervention treatment on the patients with social anxiety to comprehensively investigate the effect of the self-confidence group psychological intervention on relieving the symptoms of patients with social anxiety. The results of the study show that there is a significant change in the latency of P300 indexes in patients with social anxiety disorder after the self-confidence group psychological intervention, which has a certain effect on the improvement of patients' cognitive function. The research in this paper is of great significance to further applying the self-confidence group psychological intervention therapy to the treatment of emotional disorders.

The ‘Charter of Rights for Family Caregivers’. The role and importance of the caregiver: an Italian proposal

Cancer diagnosis not only shakes the lives of those who are affected, but also has impacts on the entire family system, which is involved as if it were itself an organism affected by cancer. The oncological illness may cause a breakdown of the existing balance in the family system and demands a progressive degree of mutual adaptation to family members. The ‘VoiNoi’ Listening Centre of the Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital in Rome has been close to caregivers for several years, to support them in the difficult task of providing assistance through individual or group psychological support therapy and health education. The ‘Charter of Rights for Family Caregivers’ stems from the experience gained over the years, with the aim of protecting, supporting and strengthening the role and the assistance activity that families carry out in support of their loved ones under conditions of fragility.

Review of the efficacy of treatments for bipolar disorder and substance abuse

The aim of this study was to provide a descriptive overview of different psychological and pharmacological interventions used in the treatment of patients with bipolar disorder and substance abuse, in order to determine their efficacy. A review of the current literature was performed using the databases Medline and PsycINFO (2005–2015). A total of 30 experimental studies were grouped according to the type of therapeutic modality described (pharmacological 19; psychological 11). Quetiapine and valproate have demonstrated superiority on psychiatric symptoms and a reduction in alcohol consumption, respectively. Group psychological therapies with education, relapse prevention and family inclusion have also been shown to reduce the symptomatology and prevent alcohol consumption and dropouts. Although there seems to be some recommended interventions, the multicomponent base, the lack of information related to participants during treatment, experimental control or the number of dropouts of these studies suggest that it would be irresponsible to assume that there are well established treatments.

A multidisciplinary weight-loss program: the importance of psychological group therapy

Abstract — In addition to dietary factors and sedentary habits, there is a relationship between obesity and psychological variables, even without a clear distinction between cause, effect, and correlation. Despite this relationship, weight-loss programs are limited to a combination of nutrition and physical education, leaving psychological intervention out of the treatment plan. Self-esteem issues, depression, and anxiety are just some of the emotional conditions related to obesity. However, there is no information in the literature about the importance of psychological counseling in a multidisciplinary program for weight-loss in adults. In this context, the main objective of this study was to analyze the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy in groups (CBTG) combined with nutrition and physical education within a multidisciplinary approach to treat obesity. 46 individuals (7 men and 39 women) were divided into two groups: control (GC) and psychology (GP). Baseline and intervention measures were obtained prior to intervention and before the final meeting,including physical capacity tests and the administering the International Physical Activities Questionnaire (IPAQ). Both groups attended weekly lectures given by a nutritionist and two physical education professionals for 12 weeks. In addition, the GP participated in weekly sessions of CBTG for the same period. After the program, there were significant changes in body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percentage, and strength of the lower limbs in both groups. In addition to these changes, the GP also showed improvements in diastolic blood pressure and IPAQ scores, being the only one that increased its time of weekly physical activity. Thus, it was concluded that the psychological treatment might play an important role in a multidisciplinary weight-loss program.Keywords: obesity, exercise, nutrition, cognitive-behavioral group therapy