Group Therapy Techniques Research Articles

The Effectiveness of Integrated Group Therapy on Prolonged Grief Disorder of Bereaved People from COVID-19 Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study aimed to evaluate the integrated cognitive-behavioral group therapy and Gestalt empty chair technique on bereaved individuals with COVID-19-caused PGD (prolonged grief disease). Thirty-six patients with PGD resultant from COVID-19 were randomly assigned intervention and control groups. The intervention group underwent 16 90-minute integrated group therapy sessions twice a week. Both groups completed the BDI II depression, NAI anger, and GASP guilt scale before, after, and 2months after the study's conclusion. The intervention and control groups significantly differed in the depression, anger, and guilt indices after the therapeutic intervention (p < .001). This difference remained in the follow-up phase. Integrated group therapy in treating could help with some of the symptoms of PGD resulting from the corona-caused loss of loved ones. This reduction in symptoms was also stable over time.

Profile of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Centres for Persons with Substance Use Disorders in Bengaluru: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Substance use disorder is a major global health problem. There is limited information available about the pattern of utilization of psychosocial rehabilitation services (de-addiction service centres) for persons with substance use disorder. To study the profile of psychosocial rehabilitation centres (de-addiction service centres) for persons with substance use disorder in Bengaluru. To assess the staff profile, organisation profile, to examine the nature, types of treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation services offered by the de-addiction centers. Cross-sectional study design was used. Sample size: Out of 43 private organizations, 32 were eligible to participate. Out of 32, one-third (N=10) of the organizations participated in the study. Based on minimum standards of care manual for substance use disorders, an online questionnaire regarding organizational profile, staff pattern, nature and type of treatments, range of psychosocial rehabilitation services offered. Data was collected through online using google forms. Descriptive statistics such as frequency was used to analyse the data collected. All 10 organizations have a minimum one social worker, psychologist, nursing staff, and other supportive staff in the psychosocial rehabilitation centers. All the organizations have basic infrastructure and amenities as per minimum standards of care. Most organizations provide recovery oriented services, almost all organizations provide telephonic follow-up and home visit services. Most organizations provide psychosocial rehabilitation services. Most organization expressed need for training their counsellors on on group therapy and family therapy techniques. Most organisations possibly comply with a minimum standard of care and service, follow a twelve-step treatment approach, reintegrate the recovered clients in the community, provide an opportunity to work in their respective organisations. Most organisations have self-help (AA) groups, offer assistance programmes for family members, supportive educational groups and halfway-home care services.

Interventions for Reducing the Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Black/African American Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Purpose: Research demonstrates tremendous harmful effects for children and adolescents that have experienced trauma of various forms before the age of eighteen. These effects are profound as not only are they linked to current detrimental effects such as increased rates of substance abuse, early sexual activity, higher rates of depression, and suicidal ideation, but they also have shown to be damaging in adulthood. This systematic review provides an examination of interventions that reduce the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) for Black/African American children and adolescents. Methods: This study used an intervention assessment tool to determine the methodological rigor derived from the American Psychological Association on assessing interventions as the risk of bias tool. The methodological rigor was used to assess the interventions that reduce the effects of ACEs. Effect sizes for controlled trials, pre-post effect sizes, and pilot studies were calculated. Results: This search identified a total of 1,594 studies in which 617 were screened and five were selected. The five utilized harm reduction interventions to address the effects of ACEs. All of the study participants were Black/African American children and adolescents. The effect sizes that were available ranged from medium to large. The Strong African American Families Program (SAAF) intervention had the strongest methodological rigor with a medium effect size. Conclusion: The review suggests that the combination of individual therapy, group therapy, and psychoeducational training techniques provided positive effects on the reduction of ACE related symptoms for Black/African American children and adolescents. The randomized control trials yielded the greatest improvements from the interventions. However, the findings were few and the need for interventions for this population continue to grow.

Acupressure Effectiveness and Yoga Exercises To Reduce Menstrual Pain

Women of reproductive age more often use pharmacological therapy to treat dysmenorrhea. The aim of this study was to analyze the acupressure therapy sanyinjiao and Hegu with yoga exercises to reduce dysmenorrhea. This research involved 40 respondents, Definition in this study using two intervention groups, namely group therapy technique of acupressure and yoga exercise group. The results of statistical tests showed that the acupressure group experienced a significant decrease in pain scale, namely 3.35 compared to the yoga exercise group, which only experienced a decrease of 2.05 while the average value of the difference after acupressure and yoga exercise was -1.3 and Mann Whitney obtained p value = 0.001. So it was found that there was an average difference in group 1 and group 2 after the intervention where the yoga exercises Action was more effective than Acupressure in reducing dysmenorrhea.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral and Psychotherapeutic Therapy on Executive Functions of Children Aged 7 To 12 Years

Background: A review of research in the field of children shows that with the expansion and deepening of studies on children. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral and psychotherapeutic therapy on executive functions in children aged 7 to 12 years. Materials & Methods: The research method is quasi-experimental (quasi-experimental) studies with pre-test, post-test and follow-up with the control group. The sample group was available among 24 children who were registered at the Ava Mehr Pasargad Counseling Center to diagnose the symptoms of externalized disorder and met the necessary criteria to participate in the study, 24 people were randomly selected. They were divided into two experimental (n=8) groups and one control group (n=8). Cognitive-behavioral (11 sessions, two sessions every week, two hours) and psychotherapeutic therapy (12session, two sessions every week, two hours) were performed for the experimental groups, but the control group did not receive any special intervention. The executive functions (Stroop word color test, and working memory reinforcement test) completed by participants. Data were analyzed using Spss software version 22.0. Results: The cognitive-behavioral group therapy technique was successful on the memory test and the mean and standard deviation in the post-test were more effective than the (15.09±52.12) pre-test. For the memory test, the psychotherapeutic group had the lowest mean and standard deviation of (16.42 ±35.75). So it can be concluded that psychotherapeutic therapywas more effectiveness than cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention on improving children's executive functions (P<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychotherapeutic therapy were useful in improving externalized disorders and executive functions of children with externalized disorders in 7 to 12-year-old children in Pasargad.

Interpersonal Emotion Regulation: From Research to Group Therapy.

The concept of interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) refers to a variety of processes in which emotion regulation occurs as part of live social interactions and includes, among others, also those interpersonal interactions in which individuals turn to others to be helped or to help the others in managing emotions. Although IER may be a concept of interest in group therapy, specific theoretical insights in this field appear to be missed. In this article, we firstly provide a review of IER definitions, of classifications of IER strategies, and of IER clinical conceptualizations. Afterwards, we discuss the relevance of considering IER for group therapy, both in terms of non-specific group therapeutic factors and of group therapy techniques promoting adaptive emotion regulation, underlining the potentially relevant role of IER behaviors as intrinsically involved in group experience.

The health psychology approach to normal ageing

AbstractApproaching the process of normal ageing with a health psychology model was an important development in health science. In earlier healing models, questions of old age were either ignored or dealt with only in the context of various diseases. Definitions of the stages of human life have changed and pushed the limits of old age to a higher level. The expanding human life course raises important medical, psychological, and sociological issues. The definition of ageing and the characteristics of normal ageing need to be reconsidered. The cognitive representations of ageing people are a good reflection of how they think about themselves, the world, and the stage of life ahead. The contribution of health psychology as a modern approach to healthy ageing has greatly altered the attitudes of healthcare professionals. The concept of active old age helps to deal with the growing number of elderly people in a new context. In this brief overview of the health psychology approach to normal ageing, we aim to help healthcare professionals better manage the problems in their daily work. In a brief introduction, we review the physical and mental symptoms of ageing. We strive to isolate the normal variants from gerontopsychiatric and neuropsychiatric disorders. While normal ageing does not require clinical attention, psychiatric disorders do, and we briefly describe the therapeutic forms. Psychoeducation, group therapy, and supportive techniques prove to be the most effective.

Estudio de una nueva técnica psicoterapéutica grupal en esquizofrenia basada en el cine de ficción: efectos sobre síntomas positivos y negativos

IntroductionSchizophrenia is one of the mental disorders that generate the greatest human disability in the world. The treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia is still far from being resolved satisfactorily. The unique ability of cinema to activate attention, imagination and memory, as well as to activate complex mental processes in viewers leads one to think that it can be an effective therapeutic tool for the treatment of certain mental disorders. ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of a new psychotherapeutic technique (designed ad hoc) based on the analysis of film sequences and double viewed using fiction films in patients diagnosed with spectrum disorders of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. MethodsA multicentre, randomised and parallel group clinical trial was conducted on 48 patients with a diagnosis of psychotic disorders of the schizophrenia spectrum. The effects of the application of a psychotherapeutic group therapy technique, based on the use of fiction films, were compared to a control group that also worked with fiction films, but using a non-specific technique. Three film analysis techniques with potential therapeutic properties were selected for the development of the new group psychotherapy technique: 1) the segmentation of the cinematic material into sequences, 2) the analysis by sequences of the contents of the film, 3) the double viewing of the cinematographic material. The intervention consisted of 26 sessions, which involved the double viewing of the 13 episodes of the first season of the television series Los Soprano. The primary outcome measures were the changes obtained in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) subscales, according to Wallwork's five-factor model, between the baseline and final situation after treatment. Cognitive outcome measurements included changes in the cognition scales included in the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) and in social cognition scales, like MSCEIT, FEIT, and FBS (Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, Facial Emotion Identification Test, and Frankfurt self-assessment scale for persons with schizophrenia, respectively), before and after treatment. ResultsThe results showed a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group versus the control group in the positive [P=.01; d=0.82 (95% CI; 0.2-1.43)], negative [P=.005; d=0.89 (95% CI; 0.26-1.51)] and disorganised symptoms [P=.013; d=0.49 (95% CI; 0.11-1.09)]. In the “post-hoc” analysis of the negative factor, statistically significant improvements were found in the following variables: blunted effect (P=.041, d=0.64 (95% CI; 0.03-1.24)], emotional withdrawal (P=.012, d=0.80 (95% CI; 0.18-1.41)], poor contact (P=.000, d=1.18 (95% CI; 0.52-1.82)], and motor retardation (P=.003, d=0.96 (95% CI; 0.33-1.58).] In the “post-hoc” analysis of the positive factor there was a significant improvement in the delusions subdomain [P=.01; d=0.82 (95% CI; 0.2-1.4).] No significant differences were found between groups in affective symptoms or in any of the cognitive domains. ConclusionsThe proposed new psychotherapy technique is applicable and well accepted by patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The use of this new psychotherapy technique inspired in film analysis is effective in leading to improvements in the positive, negative, and disorganised symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

Using the psychodrama in adolescents with social anxiety disorder

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

Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR TherapyNew York: Rodale Books, 2012. ISBN-10: 1609619951. ISBN-13: 978-1609619954 Hardcover: 352 Pages $26.99.

Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR TherapyNew York: Rodale Books, 2012. ISBN-10: 1609619951. ISBN-13: 978-1609619954 Hardcover: 352 Pages $26.99.

Group psychotherapies for depression in persons with HIV: A systematic review

Studies investigating effectiveness of group psychotherapy intervention in depression in persons with HIV have showed varying results with differing effect sizes. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of group psychotherapy in depression in persons with HIV has been conducted to present the best available evidence in relation to its effect on depressive symptomatology. Electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials. Selected studies were quality assessed and data extracted by two reviewers. If feasible, it was planned to conduct a meta-analysis to obtain a pooled effect size of group psychotherapeutic interventions on depressive symptoms. Odds ratio for drop out from group was calculated. The studies were assessed for their quality using the Quality Rating Scale and other parameters for quality assessment set out by COCHRANE. The quality of reporting of the trials was compared against the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist for non-pharmacological studies (CONSORT-NPT). Four studies met the full inclusion criteria for systematic review. The trials included in the review examined group interventions based on the Cognitive behavioral therapy model against other therapeutic interventions or waiting list controls. In all four studies, group psychotherapy was an effective intervention for reducing depressive symptoms in persons with HIV in comparison to waiting list controls. The reported benefits from the group psychotherapy in comparison to active controls were less impressive. There were no statistically significant differences in drop outs at post treatments across group psychotherapy, wait list control, and other active interventions. The methodological quality of the studies varied. The quality of reporting of the studies was sub-optimal. The results of this systematic review support that group psychological interventions for depression in persons with HIV have a significant effect on depressive symptomatology. This review also indicates that group cognitive behavioral therapies are an acceptable psychological intervention for persons with HIV and comorbid depression.

Auftragsfokussierende Gruppenkurztherapie - Ergebnisse einer Evaluation

A short description outlines the development of commission focused short-term therapy (AFoG) for children and adolescents. Subsequently the generic principles of psychotherapy are applied to AFoG in order to underline the basic assumptions of this variation of systemic group therapy. Behavioural changes arising in different contexts (school, family, group therapy) show the need for an appropriate flexibility of group therapy techniques. The evaluation was accomplished using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL 4-18) at the beginning and 3 month after the end of the group therapy. The results show positive effects which finally are discussed critically.

Healing in the Midst of Chaos: Nah We Yone's African Women's Wellness Group

This article discusses the creative use of the group treatment modality to provide psychosocial support to African women refugees and asylum seekers with a history of refugee trauma, war, and human rights abuses who have fled to the United States. In particular, this article describes the African Women's Wellness Group developed by Nah We Yone, Inc., a small grassroots organization in the New York City area. This women's group draws on the tenets of traditional Western group psychotherapy while using African cultural awareness to provide healing. The rationale for this type of treatment, group design, specific techniques used to provide healing, along with various group-related themes and challenges are described. This type of treatment provides an example of the usefulness of group therapy technique with traumatized displaced women struggling to survive in a new cultural setting.

Group Therapy for Dissociative Disorders and Addiction

ABSTRACT Chronic, complex dissociative disorders are almost always accompanied by extensive comorbidity, including a range of different addictions. These can be treated within a multimodal treatment approach that includes group therapy. The author describes the principles and techniques of group therapy with this population based on 16 years of experience in a hospital-based trauma program. Vignettes of composite therapeutic conversations are included in the description of trauma model therapy.

Multi-Familientherapie bei Kindern mit Teilleistungsfertigkeiten

Multifamily therapy is an evidence-based method used in the treatment and prevention of severe psychiatric disorders, behavioral problems and physical illnesses in children, adolescents and adults. For preventive family-oriented work with children with learning disorders there is a lack of therapeutic models. This article presents results from an innovative pilot project--multiple family groups for families with a learning disabled child of primary school age (six to eleven years old). Based on a systemic approach, this resource-oriented program integrates creative, activity-based interventions and group therapy techniques and conveys a comprehensive understanding of the challenges associated with learning disorders. Because of the pilot character of the study and the small sample size, the results have to be interpreted with care. The results do however clearly support the wider implementation and evaluation of the program in child guidance clinics, social-pediatric centers, as well as child and adolescent clinics and schools.

Handbook of Remotivation Therapy

Dyer JA, Stotts ML, eds. Binghamton, NY 13904-1580, The Haworth Clinical Practice Press, 2005, paperback, 170 pp, ISBN: 0-7890-2471-3, $24.95. What is remotivation therapy? The purpose of this short anthology is to enlighten readers about the birth, growth, decline, and gradual reemergence of this mental health therapy technique. The book targets mental health care professionals, but makes the case that remotivation therapy techniques are useful for anyone or any organization that takes care of people. According to the book, “remotivation is a technique of simple group therapy, objective in nature, used with a group of patients in an effort to reach the ‘unwounded’ areas of each patient’s personality and to get them thinking about reality in relation to themselves. Remotivation differs from other therapies because it focuses on the patients’ abilities rather than disabilities” (p 13). Remotivation therapy was started in the 1940s by Dorothy Hoskins Smith, who used rhythm and poetry to engage clients who are …

Principles and techniques for maximizing the effectiveness of group therapy with sex offenders.

Group-based interventions are widely used as the preferred method for the treatment of sexual offenders. However, little attention has been given to the vital interpersonal processes within groups, which contribute to their therapeutic effect. This paper describes specific principles and techniques of group therapy that will help sex offender treatment practitioners take full advantage of this unique modality and thereby maximize the positive impact of treatment. In contrast to an individual-focused style that characterizes many sex offender treatment groups, group-focused interventions involve all group members and use the social/relational energy that is essential to the group modality.

Analytic Group Psychotherapy: A Uniquely Effective Crisis Intervention

This paper describes the author's experience doing crisis intervention with survivors of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. It focuses on enhancing the understanding of and potentially expanding the theory and technique of analytic group therapy as applied to this unique situation.

Treating Mental Illness and Behavior Disorders in Children and Adults with Mental Retardation

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Book ReviewsFull AccessTreating Mental Illness and Behavior Disorders in Children and Adults with Mental RetardationAudrey R. Newell, M.S., M.D.Audrey R. NewellSearch for more papers by this author, M.S., M.D.Published Online:1 Oct 2001https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.52.10.1399AboutSectionsView EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Doŝen and Day endeavor to provide a sourcebook for "all disciplines working in the field of mental health care for mentally retarded people." Their text contains 29 chapters by some three dozen contributors covering a wide range of treatment methods.Chapters on individual therapy describe psychoanalytic, rational-emotive, and supportive psychotherapies. Chapters on behavior modification go well beyond the usual token reinforcement systems to describe numerous ways to think about and discover the antecedents that can initiate and maintain aggressive and self-injurious behaviors.Group therapy is addressed in several chapters. Two authors review some of the available treatment packages for social skills training, anger management, dating skills, and dealing with sexuality. Another chapter reviews group therapy techniques for use with mentally retarded sex offenders. Two chapters briefly address issues that emerge in working with the patients' families.Information on psychopharmacology is scattered throughout the text. A carefully researched and richly documented chapter by Willem M.A. Verhoeven and Sigfried Tuinier reviews the evidence on the efficacy of opiate antagonists, lithium, beta blockers, neuroleptics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, anticonvulsants, and buspirone for self-injurious behaviors. Other authors describe general approaches to the mentally retarded patient who has schizophrenia, mood and anxiety disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or autism. Brief mention is made of a small number of syndromes such as Lesch-Nyhan, fragile X, Prader-Willi, and Cornelia de Lange.This book may be useful for clinicians and administrators who wish to explore a variety of interventions that have been attempted with mentally ill, developmentally delayed children and adults. It is not a how-to manual. One could not read the chapter on self-injurious behavior and design an effective behavior modification program, or the chapter on social skills training and run a group. However, the book provides a good survey of biological, behavioral, and psychotherapeutic approaches and an extensive list of references for each topic. Having reviewed the available approaches, the reader can use the references to look into the practicalities of implementing a particular strategy.The next edition of this book would benefit greatly from the inclusion of information for clinicians about how to work effectively with schools, group homes, sheltered workshops, and Special Olympics coaches. Additionally, families and professionals often want names, phone numbers, and Web site addresses for support groups, professional associations, listserves, and sources of up-to-date and accurate information about various syndromes and treatments. An annotated list would be helpful.Dr. Newell is affiliated with the department of medical education at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan, and with the department of psychiatry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.edited by Anton Doŝen, M.D., Ph.D., and Kenneth Day, M.B., Ch.B., F.R.C.Psych.; Washington, D.C., American Psychiatric Press, 2001, 561 pages, $79 FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByNone Volume 52Issue 10 October 2001Pages 1399-1399 Metrics History Published online 1 October 2001 Published in print 1 October 2001

Book Review: Child Abuse: Ending the Cycle of Abuse: The Stories of Women Abused as Children and the Group Therapy Techniques That Helped Them Heal

Book Review: Child Abuse: Ending the Cycle of Abuse: The Stories of Women Abused as Children and the Group Therapy Techniques That Helped Them Heal