Developments in behavioural group therapy over the past decade are described, with particular reference to a change in focus from administering individual treatment techniques to teaching coping skills for the management of anxiety. In spite of this growing interest there has been little empirical research reported. The current study was an attempt to develop a coping skills package and to evaluate it against the more traditional approach of group relaxation training. Three experiments were conducted, comprising a total of seven groups and they were run in either an N.H.S. psychiatric hospital outpatient setting or in General Practice.Results were equivocal, both experimental and control groups showed treatment gains. These were superior in the coping skills group on one measure. Reasons for these findings are discussed in the light of the curriculum and the experimental design. And ways of making the coping skills package more potent are suggested.
Kennedy (1946) stated that “A compensation neurosis is a state of mind, born out of fear, kept alive by avarice, stimulated by lawyersand curedby a verdict”. This theme, supported by Miller's influential paper in 1961, has ensured that genera tions of patients havebeenregardedwith suspicion if they daredto presentwith psychologicalsymptoms following an accident. The view remained un challenged for over a decade and is still often presentedto, and acceptedby, our Courts, despite the fact that Miller reached his conclusions after examiningpatientwsho presentefdorlegarleports in whose casesit was not surprising that he found a relationship betweencompensation and psycho logical sequelae The psychological effects of proceeding litigation on the victim of an accident remain a matter of current debate. McKinley et al (1983), reported differences betweenthose patients suffering a severeblunt headinjury claimingcompen sation and those not claiming compensation. The reports givenby relativesof changesin both patients werevery similar. However, reports given by patients themselves differed with claimants reporting slightly more symptoms than non-claimants. In a study by Whitein 1981, the author followed up 163 victims of accidents admitted to the Birmingham Accident Hospital (76 burns and 87 general accidents). One year after their accident, psychological sequelaewere found in approximately two-thirds of the group, one third being moderately-to-severely psychologically affected. There was no statistical difference between those victims in whom the accident had given rise to litigation and in whom the case was still proceeding and those victims where compensation was not an issue.
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