Group Therapy as Viewed by Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

A questionnaire was administered to 100 hospitalized patients in an attempt to assess which specific factors are helpful in short-term group psychotherapy. The results show that, at least from the patient's perspective, instillation of hope, group cohesiveness, altruism, and universality were believed to be the most useful. These results suggest some marked contrasts when compared with a similar study of psychiatric outpatients in long-term group therapy. It is suggested that these differences are a consequence of the interplay between the hospitalized patient's unique experience of himself and his participation in only the early stages of a group; the theoretical considerations and practical techniques of outpatient group psychotherapy may not always be applicable to hospitalized patients.