The Response to Group Psychotherapy of Aged Recent Admissions Compared with Long-Term Mental Hospital Patients
ROBERT L. WOLK PH.D.1, and
ALVIN I. GOLDFARB M.D.2
1 Research Psychologist, Office of the Consultant on Special Services for the Aged, New York State Department of Mental Hygiene, 80-45 Winchester Boulevard, Queens Village 27, N. Y. 11427
2 Consultant on Special Services for the Aged, Office of the Consultant on Special Services for the Aged, New York State Department of Mental Hygiene, 80-45 Winchester Boulevard, Queens Village 27, N. Y. 11427
The effect of one year of group psychotherapy upon two types of geriatric patients in a state mental hospital was tested in a controlled study of long-term patients who had aged in the hospital, among whom a diagnosis of schizophrenia was prevalent, and recently admitted aged patients, among whom a diagnosis of chronic brain syndrome was prevalent. Improvement appeared to be more pronounced among the long-term patients, although the results indicated that group psychotherapy was beneficial to both groups.
