Content analysis of groups for inpatients with bipolar disorder

Group therapy for patients with bipolar disorder is recognized as beneficial but has not been studied in an inpatient population. In this study, content analysis procedures were used to describe the content and process issues in 40 short-term group psychotherapy sessions attended by 65 inpatients with bipolar disorder. Five core categories emerged from the content: understanding the disorder, relating with others, managing daily life, relating with self, and living in society. Guidance, universality, and self-understanding were described most frequently when patients identified the group event that was most personally important to them. Implications for practice include providing therapy and education to this population through a topic-oriented group model.