Effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural group therapy for inpatients

Franco Veltro¹ , Ian Falloon² , Nicola Vendittelli¹ , Ines Oricchio¹ , Antonella Scinto¹ , Antonella Gigantesco³ and Pierluigi Morosini³

¹Dipartimento di Salute Mentale, ASL 3 "Centro Molise", Campobasso, Italy

²Department of Psychiatry University of Auckland, New Zealand

³Reparto Salute Mentale, Centro Nazionale di Epidemiologia, Sorveglianza e Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy

author email corresponding author email

Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health 2006, 2:16doi:10.1186/1745-0179-2-16


Published:	21 July 2006

Abstract

Objective

To measure the effectiveness of manualized cognitive-behavioural group therapy (CBGT) when it is integrated into the routine care on a general hospital psychiatric inpatient unit.

Methods

A pre-post design is used to measure the "process", "results" and "outcome" indicators in the year before CBGT was introduced (2001) in contrast to the subsequent two years (2002, 2003). Readmission to hospital, compulsory admissions, ward atmosphere (i.e. the use of physical restraint, episodes of violent behaviour) and patients' satisfaction were assessed.

Results

90% of all inpatients in the years 2002–2003 attended the group therapy. In the years after CBGT was introduced the rate of readmission declined from 38% to 27% and 24% (p < .04), compulsory admissions were reduced from 17% to 4% (p < .03), the ward atmosphere and patients' satisfaction were both excellent (p < .01).

Conclusion

It is probable that the improvements observed were attributable to the group therapy. These results and those observed in an earlier study are promising and further investigations of this approach are indicated.