title: [Undesired treatment effects in behavior group therapy: Frequency and spectrum].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psychotherapy not only has positive but also negative effects, which is especially true for group psychotherapy due to psychodynamic and interactional processes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the UE-G questionnaire 71 patients who participated in cognitive behavioral group psychotherapy reported on negative experiences in the context of the group therapy. The answers were then validated in a qualitative interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the patients 98.6% reported about at least one negative experience and 43.7% about severe or extremely severe negative experiences. Most prominent was the induction of hopelessness and demoralization by what patients saw and heard from other patients in the group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Burdensome and therefore undesired treatment effects are regularly seen in group psychotherapy, because of treatment or patient related factors. In any case they must be taken into account during treatment, in the training of group psychotherapists and in quality control.
authors.affiliation: Forschungsgruppe Psychosomatische Rehabilitation, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland. michael.linden@charite.de.|Abteilung für psychische und psychosomatische Erkrankungen, Rehabilitationszentrum Seehof der Deutschen Rentenversicherung Bund, Lichterfelder Allee 55, 14513, Teltow/Berlin, Deutschland. michael.linden@charite.de.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linden
authors.affiliation: Forschungsgruppe Psychosomatische Rehabilitation, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.affiliation: Forschungsgruppe Psychosomatische Rehabilitation, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.affiliation: Forschungsgruppe Psychosomatische Rehabilitation, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland.|Institut für Psychologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Potsdam, Deutschland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muschalla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure
keywords: Behavior therapy; Group psychotherapy; Negative experiences; Side effects; UE-G scale