A time-limited dynamic approach to adolescent inpatient group psychotherapy

In response to sharply curtailed lengths of stay of adolescents in an inpatient psychiatric program, new therapeutic modalities need to be implemented. A time-limited dynamic approach to adolescent inpatient group psychotherapy is presented. The model integrates psychoanalytic and crisis theory into a group format. The primary focus in this model is upon resolution of problematic interpersonal interactions as they are related to the current crisis state. The group process, as related to the adolescent, involves three phases. These include an initial intake phase, which incorporates an ego-functioning assessment; a second or middle phase which focuses on making actions ego-alien; and the termination phase, which incorporates the learning experience and how it relates to the resolution of precipitators of the admission.     

Alcoholics in inpatient,short-term interactional group psychotherapy: an outcome study

The differential outcome of 100 psychiatric inpatients distinguished by the presence/absence of secondary alcoholism was examined in shortterm closed group psychotherapy. Alcoholics did not differ from the general sample in outcome, but displayed distinct active/aggressive personality features. Group outcome was not affected by the presence/absence of alcoholic members.     

A dynamic/expressive approach to brief inpatient group psychotherapy

Therapeutic action occurs in groups when patients simultaneously become more accepting of their own thoughts and feelings and increase their capacity to share more benign and mature interpersonal relationships with the therapist and other patients. This orientation can guide practitioners of brief inpatient group psychotherapy in choosing when to use interpersonal, problemsolving, or object relations techniques, or more traditional dynamic/expressive techniques. While the brief inpatient modality requires an increase in suppressive techniques compared to the longterm outpatient modality, suppression must be used judiciously, to facilitate rather than interfere with selfunderstanding and development of therapeutic relationships. Specific technical choices are derived from this principle and illustrated with a case example.     

Outcomes of inpatient group psychotherapy associated with dispositional and situational affiliativeness

Before and after participating in an intensive three-week program of group psychotherapy, 33 recently rehospitalized male veterans (mean age=42) completed the Symptom Check List-90R and the Profile of Mood States. Prior to this program they also completed a trait affiliativeness measure and later rated their subsequent group therapy sessions for situational affiliativeness. The outcome measures indicated medium to large effect size benefits, which consistently associated positively with both separate and joint measures of trait and situational affiliativeness. The results encourage greater clinical attention to affiliativeness, a construct central to interpersonal theories of personality.This article is based upon a dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. by the senior author.The authors express appreciation for the interest and cooperation of Drs. Bruce Vreeland, Larry Schwartz, Robert Munley, and Hope Conte and the patients of the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Battle Creek, Michigan.     

Long-term group psychotherapy for children with pervasive developmental disorders: evidence for group development

This article highlights the clinical progress of three long-term psychotherapy groups for children with pervasive developmental disorders. Unique aspects of working with such children are addressed as well as their movement through the phases of group development. Clinical observations suggested that these groups did in fact pass through observable phases of cohesion, differentiation, and intimacy. Further, these children demonstrated noticeable social development both inside and outside the groups. They identified strongly with their groups, and after the settling-in period, there was remarkably little resistance to participation, especially given the children's tendencies for social avoidance. Vignettes are provided to illustrate both group developmental phases and noteworthy psychological experiences of the clinical process with children who have been diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorders.     

Therapeutic factors in two forms of inpatient group psychotherapy: Music therapy and verbal therapy

Therapeutic processes in one type of creative arts group psychotherapy, music therapy, were compared with verbal group psychotherapy. Sixty-one short-term inpatients ranked group psychotherapy curative factors and completed satisfaction ratings. Therapists rated 201 group therapy sessions— 109 music therapy and 92 verbal therapy. Statistical analysis revealed that patients highly valued both group formats. The mean curative factor rankings for both groups included cohesiveness, instillation of hope, and altruism among the most helpful factors. Therapists' ratings indicated qualitative differences between the two groups. Music therapy involved more therapeutic interaction among patients and emotional expression, whereas verbal therapy emphasized concrete problem solving.Supported in part by Biomedical Research Support Grant Program grant #S07-RR05755 from the Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health.     

Brief crisis group psychotherapy versus the initial sessions of long-term group psychotherapy: An exploratory comparison

An attempt was made to specify the therapist behaviors characteristic of the brief crisis group (BCG) approach, to assess how patients experience BCG on dimensions of session impact and group climat, and to describe the changes possible from BCG on measures of outcome by contrasting this modality with the initial sessions of traditional long-term therapy groups in a preexperimental design. Data obtained from four eight-session BCGs and three beginning long-term groups (LTG) were used for analyses. Patients were administered the Session Evaluation (SEQ) and Group Climate (GCQ) Questionnaires at the end of each group session. Two judges sat in on each session and coded the types of therapist interventions using the Therapist Behavior Categories (TBC) system. Aspects of self-esteem and symptomatology were assessed as indices of change over the 8-week period in a pre-post fashion. Therapists in BCG evidenced a distinct pattern of interventions during midpoint group sessions (sessions 3–6), placing a greater emphasis on challenging patient perceptions and providing information than their LTG counterparts. The therapists' use of self as an issue in BCG increased as termination approached and apparently served a more limited function than in LTG. Patients in BCG reported a more rapid development of a working group and experienced greater session benefit. Patients in BCG also reported lower levels of conflict and avoidance and a greater decrease in these resistance behaviors. As expected, BCG patients reported substantially greater improvement on most outcome dimensions at the end of the 8-week period. Results are considered as clarifying the approach to and impact of BCG psychotherapy.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 15th Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, Lake Louise, Alberta, June 19–23, 1984.