An Integrative Group Therapy Model for Depression and Anxiety in Later Life

Abstract

Research shows that elderly patients are fully capable of benefiting from psychotherapy, and often prefer this non-pharmacological treatment option. Further, there is consensus among geriatric clinicians and researchers that a group format for psychotherapy is likely especially helpful for the elderly. In this paper, we describe a unique group therapy program for elderly patients referred to a community outpatient setting for depression and/or anxiety. This integrated group therapy program, unlike existing programs, combines a more structured cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) with a more process-oriented interpersonal therapy (IPT), specifically targeting the coexistence of depression and anxiety in the elderly. We present two cases of prototypical patients benefiting from the program, and also provide preliminary empirical support for the effectiveness of this group program.

Psychotherapy integration: History, current status, and future directions.

“…However, bringing a more wide angle lens to the integrative landscape reveals the striking extent to which couple, family, and group formats have also incorporated explicitly integrative theorizing, conceptualizing, and ways of working into their modi operandi. Enlightening discussions and vivid illustrations of integrative couple and/or family therapy are easily found (e.g., Johnson, 2019;Lebow, 2019;Pitta & Datchi, 2019), as are illuminating examples of integrative conceptualizations, processes, and procedures in group therapy (e.g., Arlo, 2019;Söchting et al, 2013).…”

Contribuições do grupo terapêutico de abordagem gestáltica no tratamento do transtorno depressivo recorrente moderado a grave

“…Diversos estudos têm destacado a importância da psicoterapia em grupo no tratamento da depressão (Krishna, Jauhari et al 2011, Sochting, O'Neal et al 2013. Autores descrevem apoio dos membros do grupo, atenuação do isolamento e incentivo do compartilhamento como ganhos nesta modalidade, e afirmam que a aderência é maior que na terapia individual, auxiliando no tratamento (Cuijpers, van Straten et al 2008).…”