The Use of Existential Groups in Mental Health Care: A Scoping Review

Existential groups (EGs) have been used in mental health care settings to help patients struggling with various mental illnesses, some proven effective in reducing psychiatric symptoms and increasing self-awareness, hope, and meaning in life. However, there is a need for greater knowledge of health outcomes, characteristics, and treatment variables of such groups. To provide clinically valuable knowledge for group therapists and further research, a scoping review was conducted to determine the characteristics of EG in terms of leaders' professions, time frames, diagnoses, locations, patients' and clinicians' affiliations, theoretical approaches or traditions, treatment rationales, and outcome variables and results. A systematic database search identified relevant papers published between 2013 and 2023. Of 4,838 unique publications, 22 were eligible for inclusion. EGs in mental health care featured numerous group characteristics linked to different group leaders' professions, clinical contexts and diagnoses. Multiple therapeutic rationales, together with different secular, spiritual and/or religious traditions were found to be applied in diverse ways. A quantitative method was used in 17 of the 22 studies, of which six were randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies. Both psychological and existential outcomes were measured, such as reduced psychiatric symptoms and increased self-awareness, hope, and meaning in life. Research on EGs in mental health-care settings has increased, characterized by robust study designs demonstrating the effectiveness of EGs. The findings can contribute to a more evidence informed implementation of EGs in clinical practice. However, more research is needed on semi-open long-term groups, long-term outcomes, and qualitative and mixed-methods designs.