Faultlines do not always cause faults: Identity-based faultlines, therapeutic factors, and outcome in Chinese counseling groups.

Abstract

Subgroups in group therapy have long been considered an important concern. In this study, we examined how identity-based faultlines (i.e., the likelihood of splitting into subgroups based on member demographic information; Meyer & Glenz, 2013) would moderate the link between therapeutic factors and the reduction of psychological distress. Using data from 26 Chinese counseling groups comprising 141 group members (52.34% women, M_age = 22.41), we investigated the relations between identity-based faultlines (group level), early therapeutic factors (member level, measured at Session 2), and group members' psychological distress (member level). Results from the two-level linear regression model indicated that being in a group with higher identity-based faultlines did not directly predict members' symptom reduction. Furthermore, high faultline seemed to facilitate rather than impede group process, such that a member's perceived helpfulness of the group process (therapeutic factors) in early group more strongly predicted symptom reduction in high-faultline groups and that members with higher levels of pregroup psychological distress reported more symptom reduction in high-faultline groups. Our findings provided new evidence that identity-based faultlines could also have positive effects on group therapy. We discussed the implications of identity-based faultlines in the Chinese context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).