The Effectiveness of Short- and Long-Term Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy on Self-Concept: Three Years Follow-Up of a Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

We compared differences in self-concept change across three years after short-(STG) and long-term (LTG) psychodynamic group psychotherapy, in a mixed sample of outpatients. Self-concept was assessed at baseline and three years later, using the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior Questionnaire. Vector scores Affiliation and Autonomy were primary, and the eight cluster scores-self-free, self-affirm, self-love, self-protect, self-control, self-blame, self-attack, and self-neglect-were secondary outcome measures. Within group univariate analyses showed change in LTG across three years on the vector scores Affiliation and Autonomy, while STG only changed on Autonomy. Comparisons between STG and LTG demonstrated a significantly larger improvement in Affiliation in LTG than in STG. This difference was explained by a higher improvement in the cluster scores of self-blame, self-attack, and self-neglect in LTG, dimensions that weight negatively on the Affiliation score. Patients with more serious self-neglect and harsh, punitive self-attack/self-blame may profit more in long-term than in short-term groups.

Client self-image, therapist acting, and the establishment of the therapeutic alliance in a training context

“…First, a significant increase in the client´s positive self-image occurred together with a gradual decrease in the client´s negative self-image from the second assessment. This result is in line with earlier research of for example Lorentzen et al (2015). Furthermore, the clients indicated a positive perception of the therapist's actions and behavior already at the beginning of the psychotherapy process, a tendency which continue to gain significance until the last assessment.…”

Short-term focused group-analytic psychotherapy (SFGAP): An integrative approach to change based on research

“…Another important result was that patients with less personality pathology, on average, were sufficiently helped in the short-term therapy, while those with more personality pathology did significantly better in long-term groups (Lorentzen, Ruud, Fjeldstad et al, 2013; Lorentzen, Fjeldstad, Ruud et al, 2015a, 2015b; Fjeldstad, Høglend and Lorentzen, 2016). We also found that patients in the two groups had similar change in self-concept across three years, in Autonomy, while patients in long-term groups changed more on Affiliation (Lorentzen, Fjellstad, Ruud et al, 2015c).…”

Comparing Short- and Long-Term Group Therapy: Seven-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Clinical Trial

“…However, we believe this is the first study that shows this empirically, by comparing psychodynamic groups of different lengths directly within the same study. We have previously found that punitive and harsh self-introjects change more in LTG than STG [9]. Recent studies comparing psychodynamic therapies of different length and intensity indicated that long-term therapy was more favourable than short-term therapy with regard to depression and interpersonal functioning [2,3,8,10].…”