Killorin Riddell, PhD, and Monty Clouse, PhD
Trauma Intervention Specialists, USA

Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.52305/PJSG8439

Part of the book: Understanding Psychotic Disorders

Abstract

Program development and evaluation of a group approach to schizophrenia is described as a PoC study of the value of an attachment framework for treatment of psychiatric inpatients. Mentalization-Based Group Therapy – interactional (MBGT-i), as presented by the authors, is built from research findings in ToM, metacognition/social cognition, MCT/SCIT, and MBT, and includes a manualized curriculum that follows a guided clinical process. Changes in patients’ abilities to self-reflect, take another person’s perspective, and social understanding are measured according to a non-standardized Staff Survey, Bell Lysaker Emotion Recognition Test (BLERT) and the Hinting Task Test. Results suggest changes in the desired direction, but are not considered valid due to limitations in the experimental rigor of the research design. Observations suggest that relational concerns of safety and engagement are primary focus for group members.

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