title: Developing an Inpatient Group Psychotherapy Program: Challenges and Lessons Learnt.
abstract: In Iran, inpatient group psychotherapy has been limited to transient practices for research purposes or fulfilling personal interest of therapists. The goal of this paper is to share and explain the experience of developing an inpatient group psychotherapy program in Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran, Iran. After theoretical delineation and preparation of a draft of the program guideline, two pilot sessions were held. Based on this initial experience a final treatment guideline was prepared. Afterwards, the program was continued for more than 1 year in a female ward at Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital. The output of this exercise was a guideline that covers important topics in development of inpatient group psychotherapy. It is concluded that inpatient group psychotherapy has its unique challenges. Of the most important challenges that can be mentioned in this regard are the participation of patients with significant differences in levels of psychopathology and psychiatric signs and symptoms, and high comorbidity with specific personality traits or disorders. Other challenges relevant to the structure of the group include items such as very limited time for working through and inevitable out-of-group contacts.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric and Clinical Psychology Research Center, Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Emran Mohammad
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Razaghi
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric and Clinical Psychology Research Center, Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabatabaee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Shafa Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pourramzani
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric and Clinical Psychology Research Center, Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shirali Mohammadpour
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric and Clinical Psychology Research Center, Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Arezou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mousazade Moghaddam
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University Of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran ; Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Addiction institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Seyyed Taha
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Yahyavi
keywords: Group Therapy; Inpatient; Psychiatry; Psychotherapy