Diversity of Functioning Levels - A Threat of Group Dissolution in Group Psychotherapy for Young Psychotic Patients

Many years of positive experience of our hospital’s group therapists in treating psychotic patients through long psychodynamically oriented group psychotherapy points to the difficulties of group functioning in the middle... [ view full abstract ]

Many years of positive experience of our hospital’s group therapists in treating psychotic patients through long psychodynamically oriented group psychotherapy points to the difficulties of group functioning in the middle phase of the group process. During the initial phase of such group, the group’s dynamics were dominated by distinct silence with extremely regressive functioning in almost all the group members, which stretched out for about two years. Gradually, a better cohesion was recorded, with stronger interpersonal interactions and adequate social functioning in all the group members. After the fourth year of the group process the group members started dividing up into higher and lower functioning dimensions. The bolder ones managed to succeed with their jobs, were more socially functional, and they expected, in some way demanded, the same from the more regressive members of the group. The latter however started gradually giving up, skipping sessions more frequently. Three members dropped out, which has become a great threat of group dissolution. It is visible that such group dynamics negatively influence the members on higher functioning levels, as they are overcome with guilt for the absenteeism among the more regressive members. Examples of the group processes are described in the paper.