Therapeutic Group Research Articles

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prescription drug use and costs in British Columbia: a retrospective interrupted time series study

ObjectivesTo assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prescription drug use and costs.DesignInterrupted time series analysis of comprehensive administrative health data linkages in British Columbia, Canada, from 1 January...

Transference and countertransference: the observer’s clinical effects in therapeutic groups

Resumo O propósito deste artigo é refletir sobre os conceitos de transferência e contratransferência, articulando-os com a dimensão clínica do lugar do observador no trabalho em grupos terapêuticos. Inicialmente, será feito um percurso histórico sobre tais conceitos na psicanálise. Posteriormente, a noção de transferência será discutida como um vínculo que pode se manifestar pela via da expressão corporal e sensorialidade, enquanto a contratransferência será analisada a partir do campo da intersubjetividade. Esses aspectos serão ilustrados por duas vinhetas clínicas.

Comparing two vascular division techniques in laparoscopic varicocelectomy. A prospective study.

Varicocele is the abnormal dilatation of the pampiniform plexus. It occurs in 15-20% of pre-adolescent/adult males. Varicocele diagnosis is important since it can induce testicular hypertrophy and fertility issues in adulthood. The objective of this study was to assess whether complications, including varicocele recurrence, depend on the vascular occlusion technique used -clipping + division vs. vascular sealer- in the laparoscopic Palomo technique used in our institution. A longitudinal, prospective study was carried out from 2017 to 2021. Two therapeutic groups were created according to the vascular occlusion method used during laparoscopic varicocelectomy -clipping + division vs. vascular sealer. Patients were randomly allocated to the groups in a systematic alternating consecutive manner. Variables -age, varicocele grade according to the Dubin-Amelar classification, postoperative complications, follow-up, and varicocele recurrence- were analyzed according to the method employed. A total of 37 boys, with a mean age of 12 years (10-15 years) and a mean follow-up of 12 months, were studied. In 20 patients (54.1%), clipping + division was used, and in the remaining 17 (45.9%), the vascular sealer was employed. 24.3% had symptomatic Grade II varicocele and 75.7% had Grade III varicocele. 32.4% of the children had postoperative complications during follow-up. 29.7% of the patients had hydrocele following surgery -8boys from the sealing group and 3 boys from the clipping group-, with 13.5% requiring re-intervention as a result of this. None of the patients had varicocele recurrence. The laparoscopic Palomo technique is safe and effective, with good results in pediatric patients and few postoperative complications, regardless of the vascular occlusion device used. In our study, no statistically significant differences regarding the use of clipping or vascular sealer in this laparoscopic technique were found. However, further studies with a larger sample size are required to find potential differences.

Multi-pharmacological treatment for young subfertile males with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) treatments using multiple pharmaceutical agents that could simultaneously preserve or enhance fertility capability. This was a single-center-based, randomized controlled study, whereas the final analysis evaluated a total 350 CP/CPPS patients (age range, 28-40 years) and 50 patients were randomly allocated to each therapeutic group, with a 1:1 ratio. The therapeutic groups consist of tadalafil (group 1, 5 mg daily), L-carnitine (group 2, 2 g daily), Serenoa repens extract (group 3, 320 mg daily), group 4 (tadalafil+L-carnitine), group 5 (tadalafil+S. repens), group 6 (L-carnitine+S. repens), and group 7 (tadalafil+L-carnitine+S. repens). The treatment outcomes at 3 months post-therapy were analyzed. At 3 months post-therapy, the mean total sperm motility was significantly improved in all groups. A normal morphology improvement was observed in L-carnitine receiving groups. The mean total score on the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) and the mean International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) showed the greatest reduction in intensity in group 7. Logistic regression analyses showed that group 5 and group 7 were significantly associated with improvements in total IPSS and total NIH-CPSI scores at 3 months post-therapy. Group 7 was a significant predictor for improving total sperm motility, leukocytospermia and normal form of sperm. Tadalafil, carnitine, and S. repens combination therapy could be considered a feasible treatment option for CP/CPPS males with subfertility.

Um Grupo Terapêutico Vivendo o Luto na Terceira Idade: Uma Análise Qualitativa

Old age is marked by various losses, including that of loved ones. How these are experienced depends on individual and environmental factors adding to the typical vulnerabilities of old age. A study with nine elderly people bereaved by the death of loved ones aimed to understand how a therapy group can support healthy mourning. The meetings were structured along Stroebe and Schut’s Dual Process Model of grief, with the use of strategies from Contextual Behavioral Therapies and principles from Integrative Community Therapy. Session audios were analyzed using the precepts of Grounded Theory Analysis. The results showed a gradual reframing of grief occurred among the participants. Throughout the sessions, processes of socialization, acceptance, active engagement, increased emotional availability to others and diversifi cation of perspective stood out. The results allow us to affi rm the feasibility of contextual therapy for groups of bereaved elderly people.Keywords: Elderly, mourning, therapeutic groups, contextual behavioral therapies, grounded theory.

Polypharmacy in Older Adults: The Hazard of Hospitalization and Mortality is Mediated by Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions, Findings From the Moli-sani Study.

We evaluated the impact of polypharmacy on the health of community-dwelling older adults. We prospectively analyzed 5,631 individuals from the Moli-sani study (51% men, aged ≥65years, recruitment 2005-2010, follow-up 2005-2020). Exposure was categorized as chronic polypharmacy therapy (C-PT; ≥5 therapeutic groups and >2 defined daily doses (DDDs)) or non-chronic polypharmacy therapy (NC-PT; polypharmacy but ≤2 DDDs). Hospitalization and mortality were the main outcomes. The mediating role of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIP) was examined. Compared to individuals not on polypharmacy, those in NC-PT and C-PT had higher hazards of mortality [21% (95% CI 7%-37%) and 30% (16%-46%), respectively] and hospitalization [39% (28%-51%) and 61% (49%-75%), respectively]. Similar results were found for cardiovascular outcomes. PIP mediated the association between polypharmacy and outcomes, with mediation effects ranging from 13.6% for mortality to 6.0% for hospitalization. Older adults without multimorbidity experienced the same harm from multiple medications as those with multimorbidity. Polypharmacy is associated with a higher hazard of mortality and hospitalization, with PIP playing an important role. Addressing "medication without harm" requires assessing the appropriateness of drug prescriptions and monitoring for adverse effects.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Transdiagnostic and Solution-Focused Therapies on Decision-Making Quality in Married Women

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of transdiagnostic therapy and solution-focused therapy on the decision-making quality in married women in Isfahan. Materials and Methods: The research methodology was a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest-follow-up design, and the sample included 48 married women who were purposively selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and then randomly assigned into three groups of 16 (two experimental and one control group). While the control group was on a waiting list and did not receive any training, the transdiagnostic experimental group underwent 10 90-minute sessions according to the integrated transdiagnostic therapy protocol by Barlow et al. (2011), and the solution-focused experimental group underwent 8 90-minute sessions according to the protocol adapted from 'Key Concepts in Solution-Focused Therapy' by De Shazer (1985). All three groups filled out the relevant questionnaire at three stages: pretest, posttest, and follow-up. The measuring instrument used in this study was the Akhbari Decision Making Quality Questionnaire (2015). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (analysis of covariance). Findings: The results showed that both therapeutic groups, compared to the control group, improved decision-making quality; however, transdiagnostic therapy was more effective than solution-focused therapy. Conclusion: Thus, both therapies can be used to enhance decision-making quality in married women.

The prophylactic and therapeutic impact of Trichinella spiralis larvae excretory secretory antigens- loaded Ca-BTC metal organic frameworks on induced murine colitis.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the gut. T. spiralis larvae (E/S Ags) loaded on calcium-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate metal-organic frameworks (Ca-BTC MOFs) were tested to determine whether they might prevent or cure acetic acid-induced murine colitis. Methods: T. spiralis larvae E/S Ags/Ca-BTC MOFs were used in prophylactic and therapeutic groups to either precede or follow the development of murine colitis. On the seventh day after colitis, mice were slaughtered. The effect of our target antigens on the progress of the colitis was evaluated using a variety of measures, including survival rate, disease activity index, colon weight/bodyweight, colon weight/length) ratios, and ratings for macroscopic and microscopic colon damage. The levels of inflammatory cytokines (interferon-γ and interleukin-4), oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde, and glutathione peroxidase in serum samples were evaluated. Foxp3 T-reg expression was carried out in colonic and splenic tissues. Results: T. spiralis larvae E/S Ags/Ca-BTC MOFs were the most effective in alleviating severe inflammation in murine colitis. The survival rate, disease activity index score, colon weight/length and colon weight/bodyweight ratios, and gross and microscopic colon damage scores have all considerably improved. A large decrease in proinflammatory cytokine (interferon-γ) and oxidative stress marker (malondialdehyde) expression and a significant increase in interleukin-4 and glutathione peroxidase expression were obtained. The expression of Foxp3+ Treg cells was elevated in colonic and splenic tissues. Conclusion: T. spiralis larvae E/S Ags/Ca-BTC MOFs had the highest anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cytoprotective capabilities against murine colitis and might be used to develop new preventative and treatment strategies.

Campfire Conversations: Using bushcraft as a therapeutic approach to men’s work

This paper reflects on the learning gained from delivering therapeutic group work with men, in a natural environment, using bushcraft as a vehicle to deliver a programme of work aimed at supporting the wellbeing of participants. The article explores the benefits of using bushcraft for therapeutic work and how it can help men engage in group work. It considers how developing a micro-community supports participants' wellbeing through the co-construction of a shared space to learn and reflect, fostering a power-shared journey whilst developing a sense of community. Reflective methods using field notes, participant observations and feedback were used to offer insight into the benefits of using bushcraft as a therapeutic vehicle within a pluralistic approach. A case study is used to demonstrate the work and its impact, drawing on the observations, reflections and evaluations provided by those who attended the group.

Цифровая грамотность пациентов наркологического профиля: факторы, влияющие на использование компьютеров и ноутбуков

Background. Studying the user experience of eventual target groups for digital services is important both for assessing the feasibility of using information and communication technologies in the case and for involving patients in the activities of therapeutic groups and communities in social media. Study aim. To study the influence of socio-demographic characteristics of patients undergoing inpatient treatment in a drug treatment facility on their use of personal computers/laptops. Materials and methods. Cross-sectional study using a specially designed questionnaire of a non-deterministic sample of addiction patients (n = 1168) hospitalized at the Moscow Scientific and Practical Center for Addictions. Statistical analysis was conducted in IBM SPSS 25.0. Study results. Statistically significant differences were noted in the use of personal computers and laptops depending on the age, level of education and economic activity of respondents. Conclusions. Predictors of active use of computers and laptops by patients are: young age; employment; higher education. The results of the study can be used to target addiction clinic patients according to socio-demographic parameters in order to implement telemedicine approaches in the process of their outpatient support.

The Influence of Group Therapeutic Intervention on the Enhancement of Emotional and Psychosocial Development in Adolescents

Introduction: Adolescence signifies the progression from adolescence to maturity. An adult's personality may be afflicted with social anxiety disorder because of developmental failure. Group therapy for therapeutic purposes is one method of resolving this. The objective of this study is to ascertain the impact of therapeutic group therapy on the enhancement of adolescents' psychosocial and emotional development. Develop a quasi-experimental design employing a control group methodology of pre-test-post-test. Methods: The research sample comprised 326 individuals who satisfied the inclusion criteria: they were adolescents who were enrolled in school and were willing to participate as respondents. Criteria for exclusion: minors who decline to participate as respondents. The paired t-test is utilized for univariate analysis in research data analysis. Results: There was a significant difference in psychosocial development scores before and following therapeutic group therapy (p-value = 0.000), and in emotional development scores before and following therapeutic group therapy (p = 0.000), according to the study's findings. By implementing therapeutic group therapy with adolescents, nurses can enhance the standard of mental health nursing care. Conclusion: Therapeutic group therapy has the potential to enhance adolescents' psychosocial and emotional development.

고가 의약품 건강보험 급여 현황 분석

In recent years, the introduction of high-priced innovative pharmaceuticals has been on the rise, placing a burden on the national pharmaceutical expenditure. This study aimed to analyze the spending trends of high-priced drugs in South Korea over the past ten years and derive policy implications for the management of pharmaceutical expenditure. The claims data of National Health Insurance (NHI) were used as the data source, and drugs with annual per-patient costs exceeding ten million KRW were defined as 'high-priced drugs.' The study selected the each year’s list of high-priced drugs from 2010 to 2021 and analyzed the trends considering their spending size, manufacturer types, therapeutic groups, Risk-Sharing Agreements, and Economic Evaluation Exemption. The spending on high-priced drugs accounted for 8.0% of the NHI pharmaceutical expenditure in 2021, and it has been increasing annually by 14.3% since 2010. The expenditure on high-priced drugs introduced through the RSA (Risk-Sharing Agreement) rapidly increased, especially for oncology drugs and immunosuppressants. This study defined high-priced drugs based on per-patient costs and observed the trends in the expenditure of these drugs according to pharmaceutical characteristics. Based on this, it is significant in proposing issues and policy implications for noteworthy drug categories.

ParkinSong Online: Feasibility of Telehealth Delivery and Remote Data Collection for a Therapeutic Group Singing Study in Parkinson’s

Background Parkinson’s disease can negatively affect vocal functioning and social wellbeing, particularly in the latter stages of disease progression. Face-to-face group singing interventions can improve communication and wellbeing outcomes, yet not all people can access in-person sessions. To help overcome barriers to participation, exploration of the feasibility and utility of online therapeutic singing programs is needed. Objectives To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a 12-week ParkinSong Online intervention on speech and wellbeing for people with Parkinson’s disease. Methods A total of 28 participants with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease were recruited to a single-arm feasibility study. Weekly 90-minute online sessions were co-facilitated by a music therapist and speech pathologist. Speech and wellbeing assessments were conducted pre and post intervention. Participant and facilitator surveys were administered after each session, with focus group interviews at the end of the program. Results The recruitment rate was high (90%) with no attrition, adverse events, or safety issues. There was good intervention fidelity, attendance (average 89%), and positive participant experience. Feasibility was good, with technology reported as the main challenge (connecting and navigating Zoom). No improvements were seen in voice measures or wellbeing outcomes in this small trial. The online format used in this study did not provide the same benefits as in-person ParkinSong sessions. Conclusions ParkinSong Online is feasible for recreational purposes and social engagement provided that people have adequate technological knowledge or support. The optimal online delivery format to achieve communication improvements in Parkinson’s awaits confirmation.

Quality Care Program: Raise awareness, motivate and coach community-pharmacists to provide high-quality pharmaceutical care.

Apart from providing pharmaceutical care when dispensing prescribed medicines, responding to the demand for an OTC drug or advice, is another core task of the community pharmacist. By asking the correct questions, the pharmacist collects all the necessary information to accurately estimate a patient's specific health problem. Pharmacists have a social responsibility and guarantee the responsible delivery of health products and medicines at all times, especially when it concerns non-prescription medicines or in the context of self-care. By providing this person centered care, pharmacists can distinguish themselves from other dispensing channels and can justify why the dispensing of medicines, including OTC medicines, is reserved for the pharmacy. 
 This brought the Association of Pharmacists Belgium (APB), together with the training institutes for pharmacists, the local pharmacists' associations, and the Belgian universities, to set up the Quality Care Program. The aim of this program is to raise awareness, to motivate and to coach community-pharmacists to provide high-quality care. The program consists of 4 main components:
 1. Scientific education: knowledge is the foundation when it comes to quality of care. In addition to cooperation with the training institutes, the existing educational material is collected at a central location.
 2. A knowledge test that assesses the knowledge, skills and attitude of pharmacists. The test is intended to be constructive, to confirm that people are doing well or to indicate which points deserve more attention in the pharmacist's approach.
 3. Pharmacy Simulator, a serious game (educational video game), is a virtual learning program in which pharmacists learn in a playful way to ask their patients the right questions.
 4. A patient perception study aims to provide feedback to pharmacists about how they approach patients with their demand for an over-the-counter medicine in their pharmacy.
 The Quality Care Program was launched in 2021. Each year, the emphasis is on two therapeutic drug groups. Meanwhile, 4 cycles have already been organized on analgesics, laxatives, emergency contraception and reflux for which the global results have been published after each cycle. In the coming months we will investigate how the pharmacy simulator can be better applied and how pharmacists can learn from each other.

Internet-based interdisciplinary therapeutic group (Grupo Interdisciplinar Online, GIO) for perinatal anxiety and depression—a randomized pilot study during COVID-19

Early interventions may promote reductions in mothers’ anxiety-depression (AD) symptoms and improvements in their offspring. This longitudinal randomized research was conducted to assess the effects of interdisciplinary online therapeutic groups (GIO) in at-risk mothers and babies during the COVID-19 pandemic in a disadvantaged neighborhood in Barcelona (Spain). A total of 135 babies were born from March 2020 to June 2021 in a primary healthcare center of Barcelona (Spain). Pregnant woman and new mothers were screened for AD symptomatology through EPDS and STAI questionnaires. Seventy-two of them met high-risk criteria for AD and were included in the study. They were randomly assigned into the two groups of the study: 40 participants were assigned to GIO, the therapeutic group (TG), while 32 of them were assigned to the control group (CG) and received treatment as usual. The course of the mothers’ symptomatology was assessed, as well as the baby’s development at 6 months old in a blind pediatric follow-up. No differences were found in AD between both groups before the intervention. However, we obtained a significant decrease in AD symptomatology (EPDS p < .001; STAI state p = .015 and STAI trait p < .001at 6 months of life) after the intervention in the TG compared to the CG. Pediatric follow-up at 6 months demonstrated significant differences between groups in babies’ development assessment (manipulation p = .003; language p < .001; sociability p < .001). The GIO helped to ensure healthy development of the baby and reduction of the mothers’ depressive-anxiety symptomatology.

The role of turmeric and black pepper oil nanoemulsion in attenuating cytokine storm triggered by duck hepatitis A virus type I (DHAV-I)-induced infection in ducklings

The cytokine storm induced by duck hepatitis A virus type 1 (DHAV-1) infection significantly contributes to severe, rapid deaths and economic losses in the duck industry in Egypt. This study aimed to investigate the potential inhibitory effect of a nanoemulsion containing turmeric and black pepper oil on the immune response and pathogenesis of DHAV-1 in ducklings. A total of 105 ducklings from nonvaccinated breeders were divided into 5 experimental groups, each comprising 21 birds. The negative control group (G1) remained noninfected with DHAV-1 and nontreated with nanoemulsion, while the positive control group (G2) was infected with DHAV-1 but not treated with nanoemulsion. The other 2 groups (G3, the supplemented group which was noninfected with DHAV-1), and group 4 (the prophylactic group G4) which was infected with DHAV-1, both received nanoemulsion throughout the experiment. Group 5 (G5, the therapeutic group), on the other hand, which was infected with DHAV-1 received nanoemulsion only from the onset of clinical signs. At 5 days old, the ducklings in the positive control (G2), the prophylactic (G4), and the therapeutic group (G5) were infected with DHAV-1. All the ducklings in the infected groups exhibited depression, anorexia, and opisthotonos, and their livers displayed various degrees of ecchymotic hemorrhage, liver enlargement, and microscopic pathological lesions. Notably, the positive control group (G2) experienced the most severe and pronounced effects compared to the other infected groups treated with the nanoemulsion. Meanwhile, the viral RNA loads were lower in the liver tissues of the infected ducklings treated with the nanoemulsion (G4, and G5) compared to the positive control group G2. Additionally, the nanoemulsion effectively modulated proinflammatory cytokine expression, antioxidant enzymes, liver enzymes, and lipid profile of treated ducklings. In conclusion, the turmeric and black pepper oil nanoemulsion has the potential to be a therapeutic agent for regulating and modulating the immune response, decreasing DHAV-1-induced cytokine storms, and minimizing mortality and economic losses in the duck business. More research is needed to understand how turmeric and black pepper oil nanoemulsion alleviates DHVA-1-induced cytokine storms and lowers duckling mortality.

The European List of Key Medicines for Medical Education: A Modified Delphi Study.

Rational prescribing is essential for the quality of health care. However, many final-year medical students and junior doctors lack prescribing competence to perform this task. The availability of a list of medicines that a junior doctor working in Europe should be able to independently prescribe safely and effectively without supervision could support and harmonize teaching and training in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) in Europe. Therefore, our aim was to achieve consensus on such a list of medicines that are widely accessible in Europe. For this, we used a modified Delphi study method consisting of three parts. In part one, we created an initial list based on a literature search. In part two, a group of 64 coordinators in CPT education, selected via the Network of Teachers in Pharmacotherapy of the European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, evaluated the accessibility of each medicine in his or her country, and provided a diverse group of experts willing to participate in the Delphi part. In part three, 463 experts from 24 European countries were invited to participate in a 2-round Delphi study. In total, 187 experts (40%) from 24 countries completed both rounds and evaluated 416 medicines, 98 of which were included in the final list. The top three Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical code groups were (1) cardiovascular system (n = 23), (2) anti-infective (n = 21), and (3) musculoskeletal system (n = 11). This European List of Key Medicines for Medical Education could be a starting point for country-specific lists and could be used for the training and assessment of CPT.

Rules of the game: board game design as a directive therapeutic intervention

The aim of this paper is to discuss the clinical rationale for designing a tailor-made board game as a therapeutic intervention in play therapy. Games are practiced in play therapy in directive and non-directive ways. Structured and directive approaches are used in individual and group therapy, and enable therapists to identify themes and work them through. A review of the literature concerning the use of games in psychotherapy is suggested in this paper, followed by a detailed rationale for a tailor-made rule-governed board game as a directive theme-focused intervention for short-term group psychotherapy. Such a board game, designed for processing termination in a group of severely deprived adolescent boys in their final year of long-term psychodynamic residential treatment is described. Therapeutic considerations for designing specific elements of the game are described in detail, as well as the symbolic language that served as a framework. Based on a description of clinical thinking used in the preparation of this board game, a discussion of the particular characteristics of designing tailor-made board games as a directive intervention in play therapy is suggested. The paper explains the need for a particular design of game for each specific therapeutic group, based on the identified needs of the participants, as well as on the aim of the intervention.

Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir drug-drug interactions in primary care outpatients

The oral antiviral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir interacts with a range of drugs. Candidate patients to receive this antiviral agent are usually vulnerable, multipathological and polymedicated. The objective is to evaluate the pharmaceutical validation prior to the administration of the antiviral. Drug-drug interactions between nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and patients' usual treatment medications were checked in product information and in the UpToDate® and the University of Liverpool® interaction tools. We included validated prescriptions between April/2022 and April/2023 by a Primary Care pharmacist. Of the 159 study patients, 168 interactions were found in 83 individuals, which may have led to changes of their usual treatment. Statins (25.6%), anticoagulants (10.7%), and antihypertensives (10.7%) were the most frequently implicated therapeutic groups. Discontinuation (53.0%) and dose reduction (22.6%) were the most common treatment changes. Our search of potential drug interactions and subsequent dose adjustments and modifications of the patient's usual treatment has helped avoid potential toxicities ensuring a safe use of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir.

ANALYSIS OF CONVERSATIONAL ENTRAINMENT AMONG OLDER PERSONS WITH ADRD AND UNIMPAIRED ADULTS

Abstract Social isolation threatens the health of older adults, particularly those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Our research uses measures of behavioral coordination to quantify the entrainment of an individual’s behavior to the collective dynamics of a group to which they belong, aiming to identify useful strategies to reduce social isolation for persons with ADRD in therapeutic group contexts. The present study is based on data collected during 27, 30-minute group therapy sessions conducted biweekly via WebEx by staff facilitators at a university-affiliated Memory and Wellness Center (MWC) in 2021, when CoViD-19 restrictions limited patients’ access to existing, in-person day programs. We study conversational entrainment among facilitators and participants in the recorded sessions using previously identified measures such as speech duration; voiced and voiceless interval durations; variations in pitch, intensity, and syllabic rate; and turn breaks. We present preliminary results identifying dynamical characteristics of sessions showing greater and lesser degrees of group social engagement before discussing possible strategies facilitators could use to enhance social coordination within therapy groups. The mental health benefits of professionally facilitated supportive group discussions for older adults with ADRD are well-accepted. Measuring conversational entrainment has the potential to provide quantitative evidence of cognitive benefits for persons with ADRD, and to help shape a therapeutic environment tailored to the needs of this vulnerable population.