Grants Awarded

The Group Foundation for Advancing Mental Health has funded the following studies in recent years.

2023

"Review of Group Psychotherapy Treatments for Perfectionism"

Lead Investigators:  Dr. Paul L. Hewitt, R. Psych and Cheri L. Marmarosh, Ph.D. ABPP CGP 

2021

“A Meta-Analysis of Group Psychotherapy Treatment Outcomes in Military Veterans” 
Lead Investigator: Alisha Ali, Ph.D.; Co-Investigators: J. Verkuilen, Ph.D. and B. Homer, Ph.D.

This project will address the methodological limitations in group psychotherapy research on veterans through a systematic meta-analytic review of published and unpublished studies on a range of group psychotherapy treatment outcomes in military veterans.  

2020

“A Meta-Analysis and Systemic Review of Psychoeducational Groups for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse” 
Lead Investigator: Tammi F. Dice, Ph.D.; Co-Investigators: Steven Myran, Ph.D. and Alexis Wilkerson, M.S Ed.

The use of psychoeducational groups with survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) has produced favorable outcomes. This meta-analysis will contribute to the efficacy of using psychoeducational groups in the treatment of psychopathology resulting from CSA. 

“Efficacy of Group Psychotherapy for Reducing Non-Suicidal Self-Injury” 
Lead Investigator: Sara Rose Masland, Ph.D.; Co-Investigators: Lois Choi-Kain, M.D. and Ellen Finch, B.A.

This study will mine group psychotherapy treatment literature for studies that measure non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) outcomes in order to guide the development and implementation of a group therapy program for college students who engage in NSSI. More broadly, this meta-analysis will have significant implications for group psychotherapy research and clinical practice and the reduction of NSSI. 

2018

“Together for Wellness: Group Psychotherapy for Resettled Refugees” 
Lead Investigator: Sarah E. Bledsoe, Ph.D., MPhil, MSW; Co-Investigator: John Hinson, MSW, LCSW

This study will look to compare two manualized group psychotherapy models, Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-G) and Community Adjustment Support Group (CAS-G), to address their feasibility, efficacy and implementation for this population.

“Factors Impacting the Success of Group Programming at Psychology Internship Sites: A National Survey” 
Lead investigator: Lisa Denton, Ph.D.; Co-Investigator: Joshua Gross, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, FAGPA

This study will look to examine the role of expertise and training in contributing to the success of group therapy programs at psychology doctoral internship sites. 

2017

“A Randomized Control Trial of a Dynamic – Relational Group Treatment of Perfectionism” 
Lead Investigator: Paul L. Hewitt, Ph.D.; Co-Investigator: Dr. David Kealy

This study will look to demonstrate that psychodynamic-relational group psychotherapy treatment can reduce perfectionistic behavior and the distress associated with it, including achievement, relationship and physical health problems.  It builds upon previous research that demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach in a non-randomized control study.

2016

“Rating Defense Mechanisms From Adult Attachment Interviews: A Randomized Control Trial of Group Therapy for Binge-Eating Disorder” 
Lead Investigator: Giorgio Tasca, Ph.D.; Co-Investigators: Michelle Presniak, Ph.D., Robert Hill, M.A., Nancy Mcquaid, Ph.D.

This study will look to demonstrate that group psychotherapy treatment can improve defense mechanisms and decrease binge-eating, resulting in improved patient outcomes.  It builds upon previous research that showed changes in defensive functioning in patients with binge-eating disorder (BED) across sessions of group psychotherapy.

2015

“Effectiveness of a Resilience-Based Group Therapy Program in a School Setting”
Lead Investigator: Mary Alvord, Ph.D.; Co-Investigator: Brendan Rich, Ph.D.

This project will implement the evidence-based Resilience Builder Program® (RBP), a group psychotherapy program, in urban school settings and study its feasibility and effectiveness in building resilience skills in low-SES youth, resulting in improved psychosocial functioning.

“Efficacy of a Therapeutic Group Parenting Model on Adopted Children’s Behavior Problems, Stress in the Parent-Child Relationship, and Parent`s Empathic/ Attachment Behavior with Their Children”
Lead investigator: Sue Bratton, Ph.D., LPC-S, RPT-S.

This study will address the effectiveness of Child Parent Relationship Training (CPRT), a group parenting model, in reducing adoptive children’s problem behaviors stemming from early life attachment challenges, stress within the parent-child relationship and increasing parental empathy in adoptive families that are struggling to connect and create a new family.

2014

"Moms Growing Together (MGT): Testing Psychodrama and Peer Support for Teen Moms"  
Lead Investigator: Lee Smith, RN, Ph.D.; Co-Investigators: Dorca McLaughlin, RN, Ph.D., Patricia Freed, RN, EdD. 

This study will address the significant issue of prevalent psychological distress among teen mothers by testing the acceptability and effectiveness of Moms Growing Together, a novel group therapy intervention designed to reduce distress and improve sensitivity and attachment to the child.

"Complicated Grief in Survivors of Suicide: An Evaluation of the Treatment Effectiveness of Complicated Grief Group Therapy."
Lead Investigator: Katherine Supiano, Ph.D., LCSW.

This project will examine the efficacy of group therapy for suicide survivors with complicated grief who may be ineffectively served by traditional support groups, in the hope of providing care that will facilitate psychosocial adjustment to loss, restore functional grieving and reduce suicidality in this population.

2012

"Identifying Mechanisms of Change in the Treatment of Alexithymic Patients with Group Psychotherapy"
Lead Investigator: John S. Orgrodniczuk, Ph.D.  

This study will examine the level of emotional processing and support from others as potential mechanisms of change in the group psychotherapeutic treatment of alexithymic patients.  Change in the level of emotional processing and support from others over the course of therapy will be evaluated and their association with change in interpersonal functioning will be assessed. 

"Changes in Defensive Functioning in Patients with Binge Eating Disorder Undergoing Group Psychodynamic-Interpersonal Therapy"
Lead Investigator: Giorgio Tasca, PhD.

The goal of the study is to further advance our ability to assess inter-group processes through the assessment of defensive functioning in group therapy, to explore the role that defense mechanisms play in the process of change in group psychotherapy, and to assess the potential moderating role of attachment for a group of patients with Binge Eating Disorder.

 2010

"Group Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: An Examination of the Specificity of the Effects of Emotion Regulation Skills Training"
Lead Investigator: Alexander L. Chapman, PhD.; Co-Investigator: Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon, MA.   

The central aim for this proposed study is to examine the specificity of the effects of the emotion regulation (ER) skills training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) as a treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD).

"Group Therapy for Postpartum Depression"
Lead Investigator: Kari M. Eddington, PhD.; Co-Investigator: Julia Mendez, PhD.   

This project proposes that a combined treatment protocol that first targets depressive symptoms and then focuses on improving the quality of the mother-infant relationship will be an effective approach to treating Postpartum Depression.

2008

"The Therapeutic Factors Inventory-S: Developing a Better Understanding of Therapeutic Factors in Group Psychotherapy"
Lead Investigator: Rebecca R. MacNair-Semands, PhD., CGP.   

The proposal sets out a validation study for a recently constructed measure of the therapeutic factors, with data being collected at a variety of sites, and from a variety of group therapy approaches, across North America.

2007

"Self Experience in Process Groups"
Lead Investigator: Walter N. Stone, MD.; Co-investigator: Morton A. Lieberman, PhD.

2006

"Developmental Growth of Group Climate in a Partial Hospitalization Program for Eating Disorders: Relationships with Symptoms, Attachment and Outcomes"
Lead Investigator: George Tasca, PhD.

2005

“Group Treatment for Depression as an Adjunct to Substance Use Treatment in Incarcerated Women with Co-Occurring Depressive and Substance Use Disorders”
Lead Investigator: Jennifer Johnson, Ph.D.; Co-Investigator: Caron Zlotnick, PhD.

“Group Psychotherapy for Children with Learning Disabilities (LD) and Children with No LD: A Comparison of Outcome and Process”
Lead Investigator: Zipora Shechtman, Ph.D.

“Evaluation of a Brief Day Treatment Program”
Lead Investigator: John Ogrodniczuk, Ph.D.

“Community Awareness through Psychoeducation (CAPE)”
Lead Investigator: Ellen Lukens, Ph.D., LCSW.

2004

"Effectiveness of Teammates Self-Management and Social Competence Group Therapy and Parenting Program"
Lead Investigator: Karin L. Price, PhD.

2003

"Psychoeducational Group Treatment for the Persistently Mentally Ill: How Much Leader Training is Necessary to Realize Patient Improvement?"
Lead Investigator: Gary Burlingame, PhD., CGP.

2002

"The provision of Group Psychotherapy for Statewide Populations of Medicaid Beneficiaries"
Lead Investigator: James Walkup, PhD.

2001

"Predicting Success of Day Treatment for Personality Disorders: A Prospective Study"
Lead Investigator: John Ogrodniczuk, PhD.

"Process Variables that Contribute to Outcomes in Individual and Group Therapy with Aggressive Children"
Lead Investigator Zipora Shectman, PhD.

2000

"Investigating the Efficacy of the Sand Castle Program for Children of Divorce"
Lead Investigator: Sally Hage, PhD.