Group climate development in cognitive and interpersonal group therapy for social phobia
Journal article, Peer reviewed
Postprint version of published article. this article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the a p a journal. it is not the copy of record. original article available at u r l: http://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0020257

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Date
2010-11-08Metadata
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Original version
Bonsaksen, T., Lerdal, A., Borge, F.-M., Sexton, H., & Hoffart, A. (2010, November 8). Group Climate Development in Cognitive and Interpersonal Group Therapy for Social Phobia. Group dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020257Abstract
This study was designed as a longitudinal study of 80 participants in cognitive group
therapy (RCT, n = 40) and interpersonal group therapy (RIPT, n = 40) for social
phobia during 10 weeks of residential therapy. The aim was to investigate the patterns
of group climate development and its impact on treatment outcome. Data were
collected using MacKenzie’s Group Climate Questionnaire (GCQ) 4 times during
treatment, and a multilevel (mixed) model approach was used in the analyses. Engagement
in RCT groups showed a linear increase during treatment in contrast to a linear
decline among patients in RIPT groups. This divergence might be explained by the
focus on extragroup and intragroup relationships in RCT and RIPT, respectively.
Neither conflict nor avoidance followed the expected pattern, nor did their mean levels
influence outcome. However, when 6 extreme values of conflict were removed, there
was support for a low–high–low pattern of conflict. In general, these results do not
support MacKenzie’s generic model of group climate development but suggest that
sample characteristics, treatment models, and setting can play major roles in determining
the group climate. Of the group climate variables, only the mean level of engagement
predicted a change in social anxiety over the course of treatment.