Group therapy for chronic medical illness: a multidiagnosis group

Chronic medical illness, and the resulting feelings of alienation, dependency, and distress, represent significant psychiatric issues in the general hospital setting. This article presents the results of the first 3 years of a pilot psychotherapy group at UCLA. This group differed from the typical didactic or support groups offered within the hospital in that membership was not limited to any particular diagnostic group. It was hypothesized that such a multidiagnosis group would facilitate exploration of dynamic and interpersonal issues. Both the group process and the response of the membership supported this hypothesis. However, an interesting distinction emerged within the group between members who saw themselves as chronically medically ill and those who defined themselves as disabled. "Disabled" members were generally less satisfied with the group and tended to benefit less than other members. In light of the above findings, we offer recommendations for establishment of similar groups in other hospital settings.