Relationships among affect, work, and outcome in group therapy for patients with complicated grief.
This study examined the relationships among patient affect (experienced and expressed), work, and outcome in two forms of time-limited, short-term group therapy for complicated grief. Work was defined as the degree to which the patient pursued the primary objectives of the two forms of therapy. Substantial evidence of direct relationships between the experience and expression of positive affect and favorable outcome was found. A direct relationship between work and favorable outcome was also found. Additive and interaction effects indicated that the combination of these two types of predictor variables (positive affect, work) had a stronger relationship to favorable outcome than either variable alone. Some evidence was found for an inverse relationship between the experience and expression of negative affect and favorable outcome. The findings were consistent with a social-functional theory of the impact of affect on others during bereavement. Clinical implications of the findings are considered.
Piper
William E
WE
Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2A1, Canada.
Ogrodniczuk
John S
JS
Joyce
Anthony S
AS
McCallum
Mary
M
Rosie
John S
JS
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology*