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Process and content in an outpatient schizophrenic group

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Abstract

Process and content issues were evaluated during the first six months of an outpatient schizophrenic group. Compared with groups composed of neurotic and characterological patients, the schizophrenic group scored higher in the Avoiding dimension of the Group Climate Questionnaire (GCQ-S). There was more cohesion and less interpersonal conflict as time went on. Although topics related to engagement and differentiation were discussed, there was no obvious GCQ-S evidence of these first two stages of group development. However, the data supported the presence of stage 3 (individuation) during sessions 20–26. Interpersonal topics dominated the group discussions, followed by issues involving reality-testing, expression of emotions, and advice-giving.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatry Service, San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center, USA

    Nick Kanas M.D. (Assistant Chief, Acting Director of Group Therapy Training and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry)

  2. University of California, San Francisco

    Nick Kanas M.D. (Assistant Chief, Acting Director of Group Therapy Training and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), Vincent J. DiLella M.D. (third year residents in psychiatry) & Jeffrey Jones M.D. (third year residents in psychiatry)

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  1. Nick Kanas M.D.
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  2. Vincent J. DiLella M.D.
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  3. Jeffrey Jones M.D.
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Additional information

The authors wish to thank Dr. K. Roy MacKenzie for his helpful comments on a draft of this paper.

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Kanas, N., DiLella, V.J. & Jones, J. Process and content in an outpatient schizophrenic group. Group 8, 13–20 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01456554

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