Treatment compliance in different types of group psychotherapy: exploring the effect of age

This study examined the effect of age on attending and completing different types of group therapy among psychiatric outpatients, and whether cohesion among group members mediates the effect of age on attendance. The sample consisted of 139 outpatients who began short-term interpretive or supportive group psychotherapy. Hierarchical regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to test the effect of age on attending and completing therapy. Mediation analysis was used to examine whether cohesion mediated the effect of age. Significant associations between age, session attendance, and termination status were found for patients receiving supportive group therapy. Age was directly related to attending and completing therapy. Quality of the relationships among patients (i.e., cohesion) was found to mediate the effect of age on attendance. Depending of the type of group therapy offered, younger patients may be at risk for poor treatment adherence. Difficulty forming positive relationships with other group members may contribute to this risk.