{"title":"A Pilot Study of Solution-Focused Goal-Settings Group Counseling on Adolescent Students.","authors":"Ezgi Sancak, Serdar Körük, Ali Ammar Kurt","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2557289","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2557289","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this pilot study was to examine the effect of a solution-focused goal-setting group counseling program on the academic procrastination, academic self-efficacy, and goal commitment levels of 8th grade Turkish students. A quasi-experimental design was used to asses 17 students (7 students in experimental group, 10 students in control group) for 8 weeks. The results revealed that, compared to the control group, students in the experimental group showed a significant increase in goal commitment and academic self-efficacy, as well as a significant decrease in academic procrastination. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-25"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145287247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hilde Frøkedal, Christina Lloyd, Kari Halstensen, Åse Marit Hammersbøen, Anne Austad
{"title":"The Use of Existential Groups in Mental Health Care: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Hilde Frøkedal, Christina Lloyd, Kari Halstensen, Åse Marit Hammersbøen, Anne Austad","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2551501","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2551501","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Existential groups (EGs) have been used in mental health care settings to help patients struggling with various mental illnesses, some proven effective in reducing psychiatric symptoms and increasing self-awareness, hope, and meaning in life. However, there is a need for greater knowledge of health outcomes, characteristics, and treatment variables of such groups. To provide clinically valuable knowledge for group therapists and further research, a scoping review was conducted to determine the characteristics of EG in terms of leaders' professions, time frames, diagnoses, locations, patients' and clinicians' affiliations, theoretical approaches or traditions, treatment rationales, and outcome variables and results. A systematic database search identified relevant papers published between 2013 and 2023. Of 4,838 unique publications, 22 were eligible for inclusion. EGs in mental health care featured numerous group characteristics linked to different group leaders' professions, clinical contexts and diagnoses. Multiple therapeutic rationales, together with different secular, spiritual and/or religious traditions were found to be applied in diverse ways. A quantitative method was used in 17 of the 22 studies, of which six were randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies. Both psychological and existential outcomes were measured, such as reduced psychiatric symptoms and increased self-awareness, hope, and meaning in life. Research on EGs in mental health-care settings has increased, characterized by robust study designs demonstrating the effectiveness of EGs. The findings can contribute to a more evidence informed implementation of EGs in clinical practice. However, more research is needed on semi-open long-term groups, long-term outcomes, and qualitative and mixed-methods designs.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-68"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145201780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel C R Gulassa, Roberta S Amaral, Daniela Lopes Angelo, Elen C Oliveira, Cristiano N de Abreu, Hermano Tavares
{"title":"Psychodrama Group Therapy for Excoriation Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial with a Bayesian Analysis.","authors":"Daniel C R Gulassa, Roberta S Amaral, Daniela Lopes Angelo, Elen C Oliveira, Cristiano N de Abreu, Hermano Tavares","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2551504","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2551504","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Excoriation disorder (ED) involves uncontrollable skin picking, not explained by a dermatologic or other psychological conditions. ED is associated with emotion regulation impairment, psychosocial distress, and psychiatric comorbidities. This study investigated the efficacy of psychodrama group therapy (PGT) in reducing ED symptoms. A randomized controlled trial compared psychodrama group therapy (PGT, n = 26) and support group therapy (SGT, n = 27) as a control. The comparison included ED severity, psychosocial impact, emotion regulation, depression, anxiety, social adjustment, and general clinical status. Bayesian ANOVA models showed improvement in skin excoriation (BF<sub>incl</sub> = 1.15e + 7), emotional regulation (BF<sub>incl</sub> = 258.12), depression (BF<sub>incl</sub> = 89.73), impact of excoriation (BF<sub>incl</sub> = 71.69) and anxiety (BF<sub>incl</sub> = 20.27) over time for both groups. PGT was not more effective than SGT, but group psychotherapy is a valuable treatment option for ED.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145201767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Haley E Williamson, Jordan Stahly, Nathaniel G Wade
{"title":"Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clients in Mixed-Ability Psychotherapy Groups: Therapist Perspectives and Practical Insights.","authors":"Haley E Williamson, Jordan Stahly, Nathaniel G Wade","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2552887","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2552887","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Deaf and hard of hearing (D/HOH) individuals experience higher rates of mental health disorders and face significant barriers when accessing services, particularly in group therapy settings. This study investigates group therapists' perspectives on incorporating D/HOH clients into mixed-ability therapy groups predominantly composed of hearing individuals. Using a mixed-methods design, this study compares the experiences of therapists who have facilitated such groups with the perceptions of those who have not. Qualitative results highlight perceived barriers for therapists without experience working with D/HOH members, including concerns about group cohesion, communication challenges, and interpreter integration. Therapists with experience working with D/HOH members identified the benefits of mixed-ability groups, such as increased empathy, cultural learning, and strengthened group connections. These findings emphasize the need for expanded training, practical accommodations, and cultural competency development to ensure inclusive and effective group therapy for all.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-27"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145193381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Looking at the Therapeutic Change Through a Textual Analysis: Evidence from an Online Group Analytic Treatment.","authors":"S Bruno, I Mastropietro, L Todini, P Velotti","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2538019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2538019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The expansion and consolidation of group therapy in online settings has generated, and continues to generate, significant debate, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities of this transition. This study aims to explore the main themes and underlying latent dimensions of a psychodynamic group psychotherapy conducted online. Forty-two clinical reports from a group of nine patients who participated in the first nine months of online group therapy were analyzed using qualitative textual analysis with T-Lab software. The analysis was carried out in two phases to capture both differences and the longitudinal development of the therapeutic process, comparing T1 (the first four months of therapy) and T2 (months four through nine). Utilizing the Psychodynamic Analysis of Narratives for Multiple Interpretative Levels (PAMIL), the study identified key latent themes, including the formation of the therapeutic alliance, the development of group cohesion, and the processes of sharing and comparing emotional experiences. The qualitative analysis of clinical session reports proved to be an effective method for investigating the less explicit dimensions of group dynamics in the online setting. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the specific processes activated in virtual psychodynamic group therapy and underscore the value of narrative material as a tool for both clinical and research purposes.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-37"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144973903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"When Your Heart Goes Out to the Child: Reflections on Therapist-Initiated Termination of Treatment in Child and Youth Therapy Groups.","authors":"Netanel Zingboim, Alon Wasserman","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2526330","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2526330","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Therapist-initiated termination of treatment for a child from a therapy group presents unique ethical and clinical dilemmas. While termination in group therapy has been widely discussed, the topic of forced termination remains underexplored. This paper expands and elaborates on this issue by addressing key challenges specific to working with younger populations, including therapist-patient-parent dynamics, boundary setting, physical contact, and developmental considerations. We examine the implications of therapist-initiated termination for the child and for other group members. A structured decision-making framework is proposed to assist therapists in evaluating the necessity of removal while minimizing potential harm. By integrating clinical and ethical considerations, this paper offers a refined perspective on the complexities of therapist-initiated termination in child and adolescent group therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-25"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144785615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rayna D Markin, Dennis M Kivlighan, Cheri Marmarosh, Sabrina Ge, Paul L Hewitt
{"title":"Predicting Change in Emotional Distress from Language Characteristics of Group Psychodynamic Therapy for Perfectionism: An Empirical Case Study.","authors":"Rayna D Markin, Dennis M Kivlighan, Cheri Marmarosh, Sabrina Ge, Paul L Hewitt","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2456006","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2456006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Though psychodynamic group psychotherapy, like all therapy approaches, espouses the use of specific interventions and distinct mechanisms of change, in general, it is unclear the extent to which different therapy orientations actually differ in practice. The goal of this study was to use Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), a software for quantitative text analysis that counts words and calculates proportions of words from specific predefined categories, as a method for assessing in-session core characteristics of group psychodynamic psychotherapy for perfectionism. LIWC was used to assess the presence of the seven core characteristics found to be unique to individual psychodynamic psychotherapy in the group therapy context, and whether these core psychodynamic group characteristics, when assessed on the word level, predict week-to-week changes in group member-rated perfectionism-related emotional distress. Results suggest that group members' emotional distress increased in early sessions before decreasing in later sessions. Further, core psychodynamic in-session characteristics, including focusing on affect and emotions; identifying patterns in group members' actions, thoughts, feelings, experiences, and relationships; focusing on group members' interpersonal relationships; and focusing on group member-member or leader relationships, all predict less perfectionism-related emotional distress the following week.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"503-538"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143988806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Élisabeth Lamoureux, Karen Ghoussoub, Yoram Shir, Marc O Martel, Zakhar Prylutskyy, M Gabrielle Pagé
{"title":"Exploring Pain-Severity and Psychological-Flexibility Trajectories During Group-Based Psychotherapy for Chronic Pain.","authors":"Élisabeth Lamoureux, Karen Ghoussoub, Yoram Shir, Marc O Martel, Zakhar Prylutskyy, M Gabrielle Pagé","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2469132","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2469132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to identify subgroups of patients sharing similar outcome trajectories during group-based psychotherapy for chronic pain, to explore baseline predictors of trajectories, and to describe clinical outcomes as a function of these trajectories. Participants (n = 71) underwent eight weekly sessions of group psychotherapy for chronic pain at a tertiary care multidisciplinary pain treatment center. Pain outcomes, psychological distress, sleep, pain acceptance, and psychological inflexibility were assessed before, during, directly after, and 3 months after the intervention. Using growth mixture modeling, three to four trajectories were identified for pain-severity and psychological-flexibility symptoms during treatment; baseline levels of depression, pain severity, and psychological flexibility predicted trajectory membership. More research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying patients' variability in trajectories of symptom change across treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"467-502"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144015101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julia Riddell, Darren Neufeld, Jolene Kinley, Dylan Davidson, Natalie Mota, Jo Ann Unger, Christine Henriksen, Tara Conway, Jonathan Jette, Depeng Jiang
{"title":"Effectiveness of Eight-Session Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Classes for Reducing Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Emotional Dysregulation in a Transdiagnostic Population.","authors":"Julia Riddell, Darren Neufeld, Jolene Kinley, Dylan Davidson, Natalie Mota, Jo Ann Unger, Christine Henriksen, Tara Conway, Jonathan Jette, Depeng Jiang","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2454677","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2454677","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brief group-based psychological treatments are a common tool for increasing service access. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills groups have been used with several clinical populations to improve emotional regulation. This research aimed to examine the effectiveness of DBT-informed classes across four treatment settings in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation, as well as examining participant factors associated with treatment responsiveness and class dropout. A total of 315 participants completed pre-post measures as a part of standard clinical care. Linear mixed model analyses showed that participants who completed DBT-informed classes experienced significant reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation. Only an individual's baseline DSM-5 score significantly predicted responsiveness to treatment in terms of decreasing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"539-569"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143781502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Allison R Battles, Robert A Curland, Patrick J Cruitt
{"title":"A Pilot Evaluation of a Therapeutically Applied Tabletop Role Playing Game Group Therapy Among Veterans.","authors":"Allison R Battles, Robert A Curland, Patrick J Cruitt","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2454666","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2454666","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Social connectedness is a fundamental human need that is thwarted by chronic loneliness. The therapeutic application of role-playing games (TA-RPG) has the potential to promote social connection and flourishing by providing opportunities to work on mental health through immersive, collaborative storytelling. The purpose of this discussion is to describe the pilot implementation and evaluation of a TA-RPG group at VA medical center. Four group cycles were conducted over 18 months. Sixty-five percent of those who initiated the group completed treatment, attending an average of 11 out of 12 sessions. Qualitative analyses identified themes of perceived benefit and impactful group processes. Participants reported a high degree of satisfaction. These preliminary findings suggest that TA-RPGs may be a viable and engaging group therapy approach for fostering connection.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"443-466"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143732281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}