Aims of the study

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of group psychotherapy program based on integrative dynamic therapeutic approach in changing the personality traits, characteristics, and adjustment variables , of the study sample their across a definite time period (the pre-test, post-test and follow-up test ).

Study Hypotheses:

– The First Hypothesis:

The group psychotherapy program – used in this study – leads to statistically significant differences between mean scores in measurements (the pre-test, post-test –follow-up test ) of personality variables in favor of the (post and follow-up test).

 – The Second Hypothesis:

The group psychotherapy program – used in this study – leads to statistically significant differences between mean scores in measurements (the pre-test, post-test – follow-up test ) of adjustment variables (social, healthy, emotional and home adjustment) in favor of the (post and follow-up test).

 

Subject and Methods

The subject and methods of this study will be presented under the following items:

Sample:

The sample of the study consists of (n = 10) patients of adult male out patients who were selected form Psychiatry and Neurology outpatient clinic of El-Minia university hospital, patients. had heterogeneous clinical diagnosis (3 patients of Schizophrenia disorders, 4 patients of Mood [affective] disorders and 3 patients of Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders ) according to ((ICD-10) criteria.

Tools of the Study:

All patients involved in this study were subjected to:

  • Clinical Interview (Case Study form)
  • Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory ( M.P.I )
  • Eysenck Personality Questionnaire ( E.P.Q)
  • Gordon Personal Profile
  • Trait Anxiety Inventory
  • Barron Ego – Strength Scale
  • Ball Adjustment Inventory
  • Sheet of the patient attendance

The Studied Group psychotherapy Program

A- General Description:

This group psychotherapy program was held for the first time at El-Minia university hospital – Psychiatry and Neurology department on Sunday 2-7-2002. The main objectives of this group were Firstly, to put a nucleus for continuous group psychotherapy program, which would offer a new quality of psychiatric help to patients attending the outpatient psychiatric clinic at El-Minia university hospital, Secondly, to teach and train the junior psychiatrists and psychologists of the Neurology and Psychiatry department the art and science of this important type of psychotherapy. This group is mainly a teaching and at the same times a therapeutic one.

It is an open continuous group, which includes patients of heterogeneous diagnoses (neurotic, personality disorders as well as psychotic patients, not in active episode).

The group follows the here and now and the I-Thou rules with an integrative theoretical background. This theoretical model stands on Gestalt Games (Making the Rounds, Empty Chair, Unfinished Business, Reversals, and I Take Responsibility)., It passes through them to four levels of change (Level of Needs, Level of Wants, Level of Rights, and Level of Decisions), Through which therapeutic techniques are based on many different psychology and psychotherapy schools, of those: Object relation theory, Transactional analysis, Cognitive Behavioral therapy, Self psychology and Existential psychotherapy. This approach focuses on the interpersonal interactions between group members as the primary means for therapeutic change. In addition, it focuses on contact and intimacy between group members as an important aspect of therapeutic healing.

B- Group Sessions:

The group sessions are held once a week on Sunday at 6.30 PM (7.30 PM in summer) at El-Minia university hospital, Neurology and Psychiatry department. Each session lasts for 90 minutes after which a post group discussion follows for about 60-90 minutes. The group work is held in a big circle that contains all members of the group including some junior trainees selected from the residents and assistant lecturers in the neurology and psychiatry department of El-Minia university hospital as active participants. Some attend the sessions in an outer circle surrounding the inner group circle as participant observers.

 The group sessions have been audio taped beginning from session No.13, while video recording has started at session No.32. All group members have given their consent as regard these recordings. All the recorded data were transcribed in a specific notebook for each session. The sessions that were included in the present work were 30 sessions, selected from the period between 24-9-2000 and 10-2-2002. These will be referred to from now as sessions No.1 to session No.30.

C- Post – Group Discussions:

A post-group discussion is held between the therapist and the trainees after each group session to discuss the group work that has been done in the group session. This discussion is held in circle wise manner similar to that described regarding the group session with the patient members of the group attending in the outer circle, and this is followed by forming a bigger circle containing the therapist, the trainees and the patients who give their comments on the group and the post-group discussion.

Statistical Analysis

Non Parametric Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in the analysis of the study data, e.g.

  • Mean and Standard deviations.
  • The Friedmen two – way analysis of variance.
  • Wilcoxon – matched paired signed – ranks test.

Results of the Study

The results showed the efficacy of group psychotherapy program in reduce of personality structure of the week, pathological and improvement of adjustment variables. In a sample of study , as it had been showed in:

There were statistically significant differences at the level of (α ≤ 0.001) between mean scores of the study sample in the measurements (the pre-test, post-test – follow-up test) on personality variables (Hypochondriasis, Depression, , Paranoia, Psychasthenia, Schizophrenia, Social Introversion, Psychoticism, Neuroticism and Anxiety Trait ) in the in favor of the (post and follow-up test).

There were statistically significant differences at the level of (α ≤ 0.001).between mean scores of the study sample in the measurements (the pre-test, post-test – follow-up test) on personality variables (Ego Strength, Extroversion, Responsibility and the Ability control) in the in favor of the (post and follow-up test). 

There were statistically significant differences at significance at the level of (α ≤ 0.01) between mean scores of the study sample in the measurements (the pre-test, post-test – follow-up test) on personality variables (Hysteria, Psychopathic Deviance and Hypomania ) in the in favor of the (post and follow-up test).

There were statistically significant differences at the level of (α ≤ 0. 01) between mean scores of the study sample in the measurements (the pre-test, post-test – follow-up test) on adjustment variable with its aspects (socially , healthy , emotionally and home adjustment) ) in the in favor of the (post and follow-up test), as an indicator of general adjustment for the study sample.

Conclusion:

The results indicated that; group psychotherapy program is effective in changing of personality traits, characteristics, and adjustment variables of the study sample.

 

Citation:

Omar, A., El-Dawey, H., Tawfik, A., and Mahfouz, R. (2003). The Effectiveness of Group Psychotherapy in Personality Change in a Sample of Psychiatric Patients; A case Study.

For complete essay:

  • Contact Dr. Ashraf Omar (email: ashraf.psych@gmail.com ).
  • Link to Egyptian Universities Library Consortium (here).
  • Visit Minia Faculty of Medicine’s book library.