Problem-Solving Training Groups for Hospitalized Psychiatric Patients

Abstract

Small groups lasting eight sessions each and aimed at improving patient's interpersonal problem-solving skills were conducted for a total of 41 hospitalized psychiatric patients. Forty control patients received the same pre and posttests but notraining. Twenty-three patients participated in play-reading groups without problem-solving training (placebo condition). Three separate 3 by 2 repeated measures analyses of variance showed that hospitalization alone improved the patient's functioning on the criterion test of problem-solving, but the problem-solving training groups advanced the improvement significantly. More disturbed patients made only slightly greater gains than less disturbed ones. The hospital stay was significantly shorter for the experimental and the placebo groups than for the control sample.

Personal Problem-Solving Scoring of TAT Responses: Known-Groups Validation

“…Thus, the findings are not attributable to differences in verbosity. These data also provide some ancillary support for research that has Downloaded by [University of New Hampshire] at 15:01 08 February 2015 found problem-solving deficits among chronic psychiatric patients (e.g., Bellack et al, 1989;Coche & Douglas, 1977;Coche & Flick, 1975;Hansen et al, 1985;Platt & Spivack, 1972a, 1972b. Findings from Study 2 ad~d to this growing body of literature.…”

“…Study 2 addressed some of these methodological concerns by comparing the PPSS scores of a chronic psychiatric group with a nonpsychiatric group. Although there is considerable controversy regarding the cause of personal problem-solving deficits in chronic psychiatric populations (e.g., Bellack, Morrison, & Mueser, 1989), several studies have documented such deficiencies (e.g., Coche & Douglas, 1977;Coche & Flick, 1975;Hansen, St. Lawrence, & Christoff, 1985;Platt & Spivack, 1972a, 1972b. Therefore the psychiatric group, compared with the nonpsychiatric group, was expected to report more psychiatric symptoms, a greater number of current problems, and less effective personal problem-solving skills as measured by the PPSS.…”

What is problem solving? A review of theory, research and applications

“…Other studies have found problem-solving training effective in enhancing the interactions of adult psychiatric patients (Coché and Douglas, 1977;Coché and Flick 1975;Edelstein et al, 1980;Hansen et al, 1985). In most of these studies skill training was shown to have generalized outside practice sessions and in some cases (such as the work of Hansen et al and that of Edelstein et al) training gains were maintained after modest follow-up intervals of four months.…”

The 1984 Division 27 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Community Psychology and Community Mental Health: George Spivack and Myrna B. Shure

“…Other carefully conducted ICPS/SPS interventions that have had significant behavioral impact on older populations include some with normal elementary school age children (Elardo & Caldwell, 1979;Elias, 1980;Mannarino, Christy, Durlak, & Magnussen, 1982), and some in populations with special needs: in hyperactive 7-year-olds (Camp & Bash, 1978, 1981, in educable-retarded 6-to 12-year-olds (Healey, 1977), in emotionally disturbed fifth graders (Natov, 1981), in learning-disabled 8-to 12-year-olds (Weiner, 1978), in young adult alcoholics (Intagliata, 1978), and in short-term young adult inpatients (Coch6 & Flick, 1975). 4 We are encouraged to learn that ICPS/SPS intervention has helped to reduce the intensity of stressors experienced at transition to middle school (Grade 6) and that the amount of stress experienced directly relates to the length of training (Elias, 1984).…”