Group Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Some Neurodermatoses

The relation of patient verbal activity to pretherapy symptom status and outcome was examined for ninety patients in time-limited group psychotherapy. For each half-hour segment the most verbally active member, or main actor (MA), was identified. Verbal activity was measured by counting the number of times each patient was MA during the course of the group. Outcome was assessed by administering a battery of instruments pre- and posttherapy and by obtaining direct ratings of patient benefit from the patient, therapist, and an independent rater: the number of times MA was found to be significantly correlated with four pretherapy measures, indicating that the most disturbed patients were most active in these group; the number of times MA was also correlated with patient and therapist benefit ratings, indicating that therapists and patients themselves agreed that those who spoke the most benefited the most. However, partial correlations between number of times MA and other outcome measures did not produce any significant relationships. Thus, it does not appear that patient verbal activity is related to outcome, as measured by objective instruments.     

Recurrent Themes in the Treatment of African-American Women in Group Psychotherapy

No abstract available for this article.     

Development of a Unified Protocol for the Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Youth

This study evaluated the efficacy of the Mind Reading interactive computer software to remediate emotion recognition deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Six unmedicated children with ASD and 11 unmedicated non-clinical control subjects participated in the study. The clinical sample used the software for five sessions. The control sample was evaluated only on pre- and post-test performance to assess practice effects. Results showed that participants with ASD scored significantly higher on the posttest than on the pretest. As level of emotion difficulty increased, mean scores on the pretest decreased, indicating that difficulty level had a valid effect. The Mind Reading computer software appears to significantly improve the emotion recognition abilities in children with ASD.     

Group Psychotherapy in France

This article discusses group therapy as part of a multidisciplinary approach to the management of the various psychological and physical rehabilitation concerns posed by kidney and liver transplant candidates and recipients at Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC. The group's history, format, intervention foci, and roles of clinicians and patients attending the group are described and evaluated. Given the relative paucity of research literature in this area, the authors offer recommendations for empirical evaluation of the benefits of multidisciplinary group psychotherapy in ameliorating physical and emotional suffering and prolonging life among transplant patients.     

AIDS Group Psychotherapy

Abstract

Clinical data are presented from a day spent at a New Jersey high school severely impacted by the World Trade Center disaster. Dissociation, a sense of numbness, anger, and guilt about feelings induced by the tragedy are all common dynamics in adolescents responding to trauma. The developmental issues that adolescents are confronting are described and discussed in terms of the challenges they present to the healing process. An argument is made that using groups to aid in the long recovery process with our young people should be a top public health priority.     

Beyond Emotional Intelligence at Work:: Adding Insight to Injury Through Group Psychotherapy

The author applies the popular concept of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) to the group treatment of work problems. Adding psychodynamic insight to the existing EQ dimension of understanding emotions and utilizing emotional awareness, helps patients improve their reactions to problematic situations and individuals. By focusing on discordant episodes that arise in group, the author employs a systematic approach to identifying unconscious contributors to diminished job performance. Methods for assessing deficits in EQ and for processing relevant group discords are described. Clinical illustrations are provided.