Question: In adults with psychosis, how effective are group therapies and interventions, compared to individual therapies and interventions, in improving patient outcomes?

Answer:

Plain language summary
There is limited high quality evidence that looks into the efficacy of group interventions compared to individual interventions, for adults with psychosis. More well-conducted trials are required to determine the most effective therapy for improving symptoms of psychosis.

Clinical and research implications

One small RCT (n = 100) found some evidence that group psychotherapy participants were significantly more likely to still be in active therapy after 12 months, and have better overall outcomes at 24 months compared to those receiving individual psychotherapy. Another small RCT (n = 26) found no significant differences between group and individual cognitive differentiation therapies. As both were poor quality trials there is a lack of high quality evidence comparing group and individual therapies in adults with psychosis and further, large RCTs are needed with longer follow-up periods.

To view the full summary, click the Download Document link to the right.
To view national guidelines, click Related Links below.