Editing Group psychotherapy (section)

==Research on effectiveness==
A 2008 meta-analysis found that individual therapy may be slightly more effective than group therapy initially, but this difference seems to disappear after 6 months.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cuijpers|first1=Pim|last2=van Straten|first2=Annemieke|last3=Warmerdam|first3=Lisanne|date=2008|title=Are individual and group treatments equally effective in the treatment of depression in adults?: a meta-analysis|journal=The European Journal of Psychiatry|volume=22|pages=38–51|doi=10.4321/s0213-61632008000100005|doi-access=free}}</ref> There is clear evidence for the effectiveness of group psychotherapy for [[Major depressive disorder|depression]]: a [[meta-analysis]] of 48 studies showed an overall [[effect size]] of 1.03, which is clinically highly significant.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = McDermut W, Miller IW, Brown RA | year = 2001 | title = The Efficacy of Group Psychotherapy for Depression: A Meta-analysis and Review of the Empirical Research | journal = Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice | volume = 8 | issue = 1 | pages = 98–116 | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK68475/ | doi = 10.1093/clipsy.8.1.98 }}</ref> Similarly, a meta-analysis of five studies of group psychotherapy for adult [[Child sexual abuse|sexual abuse]] survivors showed moderate to strong effect sizes,<ref name="Callahan_2004">{{cite journal | vauthors = Callahan KL, Price JL, Hilsenroth MJ | title = A review of interpersonal-psychodynamic group psychotherapy outcomes for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse | journal = International Journal of Group Psychotherapy | volume = 54 | issue = 4 | pages = 491–519 | date = October 2004 | pmid = 15388403 | doi = 10.1521/ijgp.54.4.491.42770 | s2cid = 39715726 }}</ref> and there is also good evidence for effectiveness with chronic [[Posttraumatic stress disorder|traumatic stress]] in war veterans.<ref name="Kanas_2005">{{cite journal | vauthors = Kanas N | title = Group Therapy for Patients with Chronic Trauma-Related Stress Disorders | journal = International Journal of Group Psychotherapy | volume = 55 | issue = 1: Special Issue | pages = 161–165 | date = January 2005 | pmid = 15843254 | doi = 10.1521/ijgp.55.1.161.56551 | s2cid = 34930808 }}</ref>

There is less robust evidence of good outcomes for patients with [[borderline personality disorder]], with some studies showing only small to moderate effect sizes.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Kanas N | year = 2006 | title = Long-Term Psychodynamic Group Therapy for Patients with Personality Disorders | journal = International Journal of Group Psychotherapy | volume = 56 | issue = 2 | pages = 245–51 | doi = 10.1521/ijgp.2006.56.2.245| s2cid = 77964625 }}</ref> The authors comment that these poor outcomes might reflect a need for additional support for some patients, in addition to the group therapy. This is borne out by the impressive results obtained using [[mentalization-based treatment]], a model that combines dynamic group psychotherapy with individual psychotherapy and [[Case management (mental health)|case management]].<ref name="Bateman_2008">{{cite journal | vauthors = Bateman A, Fonagy P | title = 8-year follow-up of patients treated for borderline personality disorder: mentalization-based treatment versus treatment as usual | journal = The American Journal of Psychiatry | volume = 165 | issue = 5 | pages = 631–8 | date = May 2008 | pmid = 18347003 | doi = 10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07040636 }}</ref>

Most outcome research is carried out using time-limited therapy with diagnostically homogenous groups. However, long-term intensive interactional group psychotherapy<ref>{{cite book|last1=Yalom|first1=Irvin D.|first2=Molyn|last2=Leszcz | name-list-style = vanc |title=The theory and practice of group psychotherapy|date=2005|publisher=Basic Books|location=New York|isbn=978-0-465-09284-0|edition=5th | page = 272 }}</ref> assumes diverse and diagnostically heterogeneous group membership, and an open-ended time scale for therapy. Good outcomes have also been demonstrated for this form of group therapy.<ref name="Lorentzen_2002">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lorentzen S, Bøgwald KP, Høglend P | title = Change during and after long-term analytic group psychotherapy | journal = International Journal of Group Psychotherapy | volume = 52 | issue = 3 | pages = 419–29 | date = July 2002 | pmid = 12082680 | doi =  10.1521/ijgp.52.3.419.45511| s2cid = 22021822 }}</ref>