Li-Fei Wang, Dennis M Kivlighan, Meifen Wei, Evelyn Yan Yi Koay, Chia-Yi Ho
{"title":"Group climate temporally precedes member improvement in emotional cultivation groups for youth.","authors":"Li-Fei Wang, Dennis M Kivlighan, Meifen Wei, Evelyn Yan Yi Koay, Chia-Yi Ho","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2025.2500506","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Abstract</b><b>Objective:</b> This study investigated group climate dynamics and their impact on social adjustment in therapy groups for youth. <b>Method:</b> A total of 536 children and adolescents who were significantly depressed compared to norms, participated in 95 therapy groups in Taiwanese schools. We employed dynamic structural equation modeling to analyze session-to-session associations of group engagement and conflict and their effects on weekly changes in social adjustment, as rated by group members and leaders. <b>Results:</b> Contrary to our hypothesis, no reciprocal association was found between engagement and social adjustment. However, previous session engagement (<i>b</i> = 0.81, 95% CI [0.553, 1.075]) and conflict (<i>b</i> = 1.14, 95% CI [0.825, 1.515]) were positively associated with current social adjustment in the current week. A negative association was identified between prior engagement and current conflict (<i>b</i> = -0.61, 95% CI [-0.923, -0.351]), while previous conflict positively influenced current engagement (<i>b</i> = 1.53, 95% CI [1.116, 2.029]), suggesting a negative feedback loop (e.g., high engagement leads to low conflict, which leads to low engagement, which leads to high conflict, which leads to high engagement) that maintains group climate stability. <b>Conclusions:</b> Group climate plays a crucial role in youth group therapy, influencing members' social adjustment and demonstrating a dynamic interplay that supports climate homeostasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Psychotherapy Research","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2500506","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
AbstractObjective: This study investigated group climate dynamics and their impact on social adjustment in therapy groups for youth. Method: A total of 536 children and adolescents who were significantly depressed compared to norms, participated in 95 therapy groups in Taiwanese schools. We employed dynamic structural equation modeling to analyze session-to-session associations of group engagement and conflict and their effects on weekly changes in social adjustment, as rated by group members and leaders. Results: Contrary to our hypothesis, no reciprocal association was found between engagement and social adjustment. However, previous session engagement (b = 0.81, 95% CI [0.553, 1.075]) and conflict (b = 1.14, 95% CI [0.825, 1.515]) were positively associated with current social adjustment in the current week. A negative association was identified between prior engagement and current conflict (b = -0.61, 95% CI [-0.923, -0.351]), while previous conflict positively influenced current engagement (b = 1.53, 95% CI [1.116, 2.029]), suggesting a negative feedback loop (e.g., high engagement leads to low conflict, which leads to low engagement, which leads to high conflict, which leads to high engagement) that maintains group climate stability. Conclusions: Group climate plays a crucial role in youth group therapy, influencing members' social adjustment and demonstrating a dynamic interplay that supports climate homeostasis.
期刊介绍:
Psychotherapy Research seeks to enhance the development, scientific quality, and social relevance of psychotherapy research and to foster the use of research findings in practice, education, and policy formulation. The Journal publishes reports of original research on all aspects of psychotherapy, including its outcomes, its processes, education of practitioners, and delivery of services. It also publishes methodological, theoretical, and review articles of direct relevance to psychotherapy research. The Journal is addressed to an international, interdisciplinary audience and welcomes submissions dealing with diverse theoretical orientations, treatment modalities.