Review of the evidence on Effectiveness of Group Psychotherapy

Abstract

This work presents the basic ideas and data on the evidence for the efficacy of group psychotherapy. After summarizing the main ideas that are handled in this field, six areas are listed in which there is sufficient evidence on the efficacy of group psychotherapy: personality disorders, depression and grief, eating disorders, violence youth, cancer or AIDS patients and addictions. Next, the issue of differential evidence of the efficacy of psychodynamic group psychotherapy is examined, highlighting the difficulties that make it difficult to obtain evidence on the effects of different psychotherapies. However, the review of research and previous reviews analyzed show the efficacy of group psychotherapy as a method of treating very different problems, patients and situations, although, in general, no significant differences are found depending on the type of patient or group theoretical-psychotherapeutic approach used.