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Treatment

DIAGNOSIS: Substance-Use Disorders

TREATMENT: Time-limited Psychodynamic and Interactional Group Therapy (IGT) for Alcohol Use Disorder

BRIEF SUMMARY

  • Basic premise: Time-limited group psychodynamic therapy and interactional group therapy (IGT) have in common a focus based on interaction and communication between group members. In general, the main aim of psychodynamic group therapy for substance use disorder is to reach a sense of control related to substances use by increasing self-knowledge, enhancing a sense of identity, and gaining insight on affect and impulses through reflection. IGT is connected to Yalom’s Interactional Model of Group Psychotherapy especially for the AUD treatment; this approach work on several themes such as drinking patterns, high risk situations for relapse, relationships with staff members and family, drinking history and feelings. The goal of IGT is to explore interpersonal interactions and psychopathology manifested in session with other group members. Therapists in interactional group therapy foster feelings exposure, reflection, and examination of the meaning of group interactions. The group sessions in both IGT and psychodynamic group therapy are unstructured. Generally, treatment consisted of 15 weekly 90-minute group sessions.

Orchowski, L. M., & Johnson, J. E. (2012). Efficacy of group treatments for alcohol use disorders: a review. Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 5(2), 148–157. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874473711205020148

Sandahl, C., Gerge, A., & Herlitz, K. (2004). Does treatment focus on self-efficacy result in better coping? Paradoxical findings from psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral group treatment of moderately alcohol-dependent patients. Psychotherapy Research, 14(3), 388–397. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptr/kph032

Sandahl, C., Herlitz, K., Ahlin, G., & Rönnberg, S. (1998). Time-limited group psychotherapy for moderately alcohol dependent patients: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Psychotherapy Research, 8(4), 361–378. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptr/8.4.361

TREATMENT RESOURCES

TREATMENT MANUALS

Removing the roadblocks: Group psychotherapy with substance abusers and family members (Vannicelli, 1992)

The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (6th ed.) (Yalom and Leszcz, 2020)

WORKBOOKS and WORKSHEETS

Group psychotherapy with addicted populations (Flores, 1998)

Approaches to chemical dependency: Chemical dependency and interactive group therapy—a synthesis (Matano and Yalom, 1991)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Interpersonal group therapy for addiction recovery demonstration (CATS CATS, 2016)

Irvin Yalom outpatient group psychotherapy video (PsychotherapyNet, 2009)

Irvin Yalom inpatient group psychotherapy video (PsychotherapyNet, 2009)

Substance abuse treatment: Group therapy (SAMHSA, 2005/2015)

SUPPORTING STUDIES

Cooney, N. L., Kadden, R. M., Litt, M. D., & Getter, H. (1991). Matching alcoholics to coping skills or interactional therapies: two-year follow-up results. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59(4), 598.

https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.59.4.598

Kadden, R. M., Litt, M. D., Cooney, N. L., Kabela, E., & Getter, H. (2001). Prospective matching of alcoholic clients to cognitive-behavioral or interactional group therapy. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 62(3), 359-369.

https://doi.org/10.15288/jsa.2001.62.359

Litt, M. D., Kadden, R. M., Cooney, N. L., & Kabela, E. (2003). Coping skills and treatment outcomes in cognitive-behavioral and interactional group therapy for alcoholism. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71(1), 118.

https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.71.1.118

Nyhuis, P. W., Niederhofer, E., Scherbaum, N., Schifano, F., Bonnet, U., Dembski, N., Niederhofer, A., Specka, M., & Tenbergen, M. (2018). Effectiveness of Psychoanalytic-Interactional Group Therapy vs. Behavioral Group Therapy in Routine Outpatient Treatment of Alcohol-Dependent Patients. Substance Use & Misuse, 53(3), 426–431.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2017.1334065

Vannicelli M. (2001). Leader dilemmas and countertransference considerations in group psychotherapy with substance abusers. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 51(1), 43–62.

https://doi.org/10.1521/ijgp.51.1.43.49728

OTHER TREATMENTS FOR Substance-Use Disorders

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