Prescriptive group therapy

Summary

The purpose of this paper has been to describe prescriptive group therapy, a new mode of directive group therapy for emotionally ill persons. This procedure emphasizes the fostering or creating of certain key affirmative attitudes as generally relevant to treatment of a variety of psychiatric conditions. In order to keep this procedure on a nonpersonal and empirical basis, the writer utilized a number of features of the A.A. program. This seemed an appropriate source on the basis of a case study of several A.A. participants and an analysis of the principles and goals of the Alcoholics Anonymous program. The Aental-health objectives pointed out in this analysis were retained. The A.A. procedure has been modified in regard to presentation, content, and the role of professional supervision because of the special characteristics of nonalcoholic, psychiatric patients.

This form of group therapy is currently being explored with volutary patients at the Cambridge Day Center, a psychiatric day hospital. The early clinical results have been favorable and will be described in a later report.