Intensive group psychotherapy: fostering resilience in patients with axis I and axis II disorders

Abstract

Interventions that may foster resilience for adults with mental health concerns are not well researched. The goal of our study was to examine change in resilience in a sample of patients with significant co-morbid axis I and axis II pathology following participation in a dynamic-relational intervention, designed to increase resilience by developing skills to better process negative emotions and improve interpersonal functioning. Participants included patients referred to the Halifax Day Treatment Program. Many of these patients had previously received psychiatric treatment which did not result in persistent functional recovery. Participants completed measures of resilience, psychiatric symptom severity and interpersonal functioning at pretreatment (N = 75), post-treatment (N = 58) and follow-up (N = 47). At pretreatment, patients reported lower resilience than a normative group of psychiatric outpatients. Gains in resilience were significant following treatment, and could not be accounted for by changes in psychopathology symptoms, although patients remained less resilient than the general population. At follow-up, patients continued to demonstrate significant improvement above baseline resilience levels. There were significant positive correlations noted between changes in resilience and changes in self-efficacy and interpersonal functioning, and significant negative correlations observed between changes in resilience and changes in symptom severity. Although further research is warranted, preliminary findings suggest that resilience can be enhanced in the context of a group-based intervention, indicating that therapeutic factors associated with participation in an intensive group therapy programme may have a psychological strengthening effect. Study findings also indicate changes in resilience are positively associated with symptom reduction and improved functioning.

Keywords::

• change in resilience
• group psychotherapy
• interpersonal functioning

Acknowledgement

Funding was granted for this study by the Dalhousie University Department of Psychiatry Resident Research Fund.

Notes

This research was presented in poster format at the Dalhousie University Department of Psychiatry research day on 28 October 2011, and as part of a power-point presentation at the Dalhousie Department of Psychiatry grand rounds on 23 November 2011.