Developing psychodynamic group treatment methods for aggressive male inpatients

Group psychotherapy is one intervention that can be used for aggressive male inpatients. This paper reports relevant literature and clinical applications for conducting a psychodynamic psychotherapy group designed to help patients (a) identify, understand, and deal with underlying problems resulting in aggressive behavior; (b) improve interpersonal relationships; and (c) find more appropriate ways of expressing feelings, particularly those associated with aggressive behavior. The review of literature focuses on therapeutic approaches for dealing with aggressive feelings in group therapy; men's issues in group psychotherapy, including stages of group development for men and the expression of aggression; and the outcome of aggressive behavior in response to group therapy. Clinical applications discussed are preparation for the group; the group contract, including the "group as a whole" approach; patient selection; modeling authority; and countertransference and projective identification.