The effectiveness of group logo therapy on death anxiety, feeling of loneliness and meaning of life in the elderly women with fear of coronavirus

It was late 2019 when a new virus from the Coronavirus family with the ability of spreading in humans was identified in China for the first time. The speed of the global pandemic of this virous and the release of news regarding its greater risks for the elderly led to numerous psychological disorders in this age group. Therefore, the present study was to consider the effectiveness of group logotherapy on death anxiety, feeling of loneliness and meaning of life in the elderly with fear of Coronavirus. This was a quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest and a control group design. The statistical population consisted of all the elderly women (65 years old and higher) who were member of the daily rehabilitation services working under supervision of Tabriz Welfare Organization in 2021, among whom 24 eligible women were selected based on inclusion criteria, and randomly assigned into control and experimental groups. The experimental group received ten 90-minute sessions of group logotherapy, while the control group received no intervention. The tools used in this study included the Templer's death anxiety, Russell et al.'s feeling of loneliness, and the Steger et al.'s meaning of life questionnaires. The data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-24 software. The results revealed that there is a significant difference between control and experimental groups in terms of death anxiety, feeling of loneliness and meaning of life (P < 0.05). In other words, group logotherapy decreased death anxiety and feeling of loneliness and increased the meaning of life in the elderly. According to the results, it appears that this treatment can be effectively used in rehabilitation centers and other psychological and counseling centers in order to improve the mental health of the elderly. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Attachments, trauma, and COVID-19: Implications for leaders, groups, and social justice

Objective: The present article applies attachment theory to understand the impact of COVID-19 on social inequities, discrimination, and oppression of people based on their different group identities (e.g., race, class, ability, gender, faith). Method: Theory and research was reviewed in the area social and clinical psychology. The link between attachment and outgroup behavior, transgenerational trauma, and group leadership was discussed. After careful review of the literature, the link between attachment, trauma, epistemic trust, and reflective functioning, at the individual and group level was explored. Results: During the pandemic, individuals were more inclined to rely on their group identities and vulnerable to devalue out-groups. They were more at risk of experiencing traumatic reactions that can compromise their ability to tolerate conflict in groups. However, group interventions were still an important resource during this challenging time. Conclusion: The author recommends more research and attention on facilitating secure attachments, training group leaders, addressing transgenerational trauma in groups, promoting the use of group interventions, and increasing efforts toward social justice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Highlights and Implications-* Attachment theory can shed light on discrimination and oppression. It is related to self-esteem, outgroup derogation, and aggression. * Attachment dimensions can be explored using a group-level perspective. Group attachments are ways different types of groups take on more anxious, more avoidant, or more secure behaviors and emotion regulating strategies. * Intergenerational and current group traumas, as well as threats of mortality due to COVID-19, impact both individual and group attachment security. * Attachment theory provides a general explanation for group processes that are both destructive and curative. Group researchers and therapists can engage in social justice and facilitate leadership that can promote trust and empathy in groups that are suffering. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Response to the 45th Annual Foulkes Lecture: When foundation matrices move-Reflections on the 'third global world'

This article provides a brief overview of the 45th Annual Foulkes Lecture on When foundation matrices move- challenges for a group analysis of our time. Whilst acknowledging the idea that the personal is social, it seems that this reconnection, both literally and metaphorically, is indicative of the continuous and parallel process of healing and working through traumatic personal, professional, social, and political experiences. Dualistic, dichotomous, or binary thinking significantly over-simplifies our understanding of the world. That is not to suggest that there the distinction is without merit: the Global South is one of a family of terms, including 'Third World', 'periphery', colonized, developing countries, etc., in contrast to the terms such as 'developed', 'industrialized', 'colonizers' etc. in the Global North: the wealthy ones with one quarter of the world population who controls four-fifths of the income earned anywhere in the world. In contrast, the South-with three quarters of the world population-has access to one-fifth of the world income. These are important facts. But an overly economic characterization tends to flatten the experiences of many from the Global South, who are Othered in the Global North. And it fails to acknowledge the role and responsibilities of the Global North in creating the majority of tensions in the Global South, as if their economic underdevelopment occurred in a vacuum. Moreover, especially so in the last few decades, socio-economic and cultural inequality has risen massively within the Global North itself, something which Covid19 has brought to prominence. Those who have the position, the power, and the privilege manipulate the lives of people in both global worlds, directly or indirectly, horizontally and vertically. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

From verbal to bodily thinking. Commentary on 'from functional dissociation to creativity in groups: The effects of a pandemic on a dance company' by Clarisse Vollon and Guy Gimenez

Comments on an article by Clarisse Vollon and Guy Gimenez (see record 2023-30637-009). This article by Vollon and Gimenez is excellent, well written and highly interesting. Its theoretical perspective is clearly more psychoanalytical than group analytical, in accordance with Didier Anzieu's and Rene Kaes's conception of the 'psychoanalytic work with groups'. However the subject of the authors' analysis and research cannot fail to attract the attention of the readers, since it not only deals with a traumatic experience that all of us have suffered-the unavoidable isolation generated by the COVID-19 pandemic-but also with the major accommodations and technical changes that all analysts-psychoanalysts and group analysts alike-have had to implement in order to face this new and unprecedented situation, and still continue their work. Its main argument is that an abrupt rupture of an interpersonal and transpersonal container-thought in terms of Anzieu's and Kaes's concept of 'psychic envelopes'-unleashes traumatic experiences that have to be worked-through by means of creativity. In this, they rely on Winnicott's concepts on creativity and the 'intermediate area'. This phenomenon and process is not only personal, but also interpersonal and transpersonal-i.e., collective (group). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Telehealth psychoeducational groups with latinx college students: Findings from focus groups

ABSTRACT The literatures examining psychoeducational groups and telehealth services have demonstrated positive results but less is known about the efficacy of psychoeducational telehealth groups. This study examines the perspectives of 105 Latinx college students who participated in an 8-session psychoeducational group via a telehealth platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research questions included (a) What was the experience of these Latinx college students participating in telehealth psychoeducational groups? and (b) What were the potential perceived advantages and disadvantages of implementing telehealth psychoeducational groups? Postintervention, a total of 16 focus groups were convened with a total of 105 Latinx college students (average number of participants per group = 6). Interviews were coded using conventional qualitative analysis and yielded four main themes: (1) group cohesion, which involved group members feeling that they were connected and that the group was a safe space;(2) group leaders, which involved leaders' preparation and knowledge and their ability to foster a safe environment);(3) cultural issues, which involved cultural values and acculturative and first-generation stress.;and (4) telehealth implementation, wherein participants described advantages and disadvantages of the telehealth approach. We discuss study limitations and directions for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Evaluating a multi-component group intervention for improving psychological well-being of trainee civil servants in Pakistan: A randomised controlled study

Introduction: Mental health by its very definition is related to productivity and economic output as well. It has been termed a priority under the UN 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Covid-19 has further brought it into limelight with almost one billion people estimated to have a mental-health or substance-use disorder (Greenwood & Krol, 2020;WHO, 2020). Work-related stress has been associated with psychological problems (Quick et al., 1997). In Pakistan, the civil service carries a disproportionally high burden of responsibility and national development depends on their performance and productivity which in turn cannot be divorced from their state of mental health. However, to the best of my knowledge, no study has so far been conducted on addressing workplace related psychological issues among the civil servants in Pakistan. The present study was conducted to fill this gap. It adapted WHO's low intensity, group psychological intervention, Problem Management Plus (PM+) to design 5 workshops to improve psychological well-being of newly inducted civil servant trainees and evaluate its effectiveness. Methods: The study was conducted at Civil Service Academy (CSA), Lahore, Pakistan in two phases. In the first phase, a scoping review of the literature and consultations with stakeholders were conducted to inform adaptation of the PM+ to ensure effective implementation with trainee civil servants in Pakistan. In the second phase, a two-arm single blinded Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the adapted curriculum to reduce symptoms of psychological distress in trainee civil servants in Pakistan. 240 newly inducted civil servants, undergoing a 6 months' induction training were randomized on a 1:1 allocation ratio into intervention and usual training curriculum arm. The intervention arm received the adapted group psychosocial intervention, consisted of 5 training workshops, integrated into their orientation sessions of trainee civil servants along with the usual training. The control arm received the usual training only. The primary outcomes were changes in the scores of psychological distress as measured by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and coping skills strategies as measured by Brief Cope Questionnaire at 3-months post intervention. Secondary outcomes included symptoms of anxiety, well-being, and psychological capital. Intention-to-treat analyses were done using mixed models adjusted for covariates. Ethical approval of the study was obtained from the Human Development Research Foundation, Pakistan and the University of Liverpool. The trial was registered prospectively on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03762421). Results: Phase 1 showed that PM+ was transferable into Civil Service Academy (CSA) settings following a careful adaptation process. The adaptation retained the concepts and strategies of the intervention while making significant changes in its structure and delivery.In the RCT conducted in Phase 2, of the 240 participants enrolled, 213 completed the post assessment at 7 weeks and 3 months' post intervention. The mixed-model analysis showed that intervention arm participants reported significantly higher scores on Brief-COPE, compared to control arm participants (m[SD], 23.42[8.86] vs. 21.92[8.55];mean difference, 95%CI, 2.11 [0.19 to 4.04];p<0.05) at 3-months post-intervention. Similarly, lower scores on PHQ-9 at one-week post intervention were reported by intervention arm participants compared to control arm participants (m[SD], 2.61[2.98] vs. 3.64[4.72];mean difference, 95%CI, -1.01[-1.80 to -0.22];p<0.05). Statistically significant difference on secondary outcomes at one-week and 3-months post-intervention was also observed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

"Staying Home - Feeling Positive": Effectiveness of an on-line positive psychology group intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current study investigated the effectiveness of a group on-line positive psychology intervention (OPPI) designed to mitigate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent measures to control it. Study participants (N = 82, M age = 33.07, SD = 9.55) were all Greek adults divided into an intervention (n = 44) and a control group (n = 38). The intervention group attended a voluntary, online, two-week, six-session (each 50 min), group intervention. The intervention aimed at enhancing participants' personal strengths and resilience in order to cope more effectively with the psychological impact of social distancing (e.g., feelings of anxiety, sadness, fear, and/or loneliness). All participants completed an online questionnaire one week before the intervention's implementation, which included scales measuring their: demographic characteristics, empathy, resilience, affectivity, feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety levels, and feelings of fear regarding the outbreak. Participants in both the intervention and control group completed the same measures the week following the intervention's termination to examine its effects, and two weeks later to examine its long-term effectiveness. The intervention was found to be effective in alleviating the impact of the pandemic and in strengthening participants' resilience. More specifically, the results showed significant decreases for the intervention group in all measures of psychosocial distress (anxiety, depression, loneliness and fear) and significant increases in empathy, resilience, and experience of positive emotions. The study's implications for the development and implementation of online psychological interventions during a crisis are discussed.

Mindful attention for reading and class (MARC): A DBT-informed group intervention for college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Up to 80% of children diagnosed with ADHD have symptoms that persist into adulthood (Barkley et al., 2007), and up to 8% of college students report having the disorder (DuPaul et al., 2009). COVID-19 has exacerbated ADHD-related difficulties with concentration, academic performance, and emotional distress (Breaux et al., 2021;Pollak et al., 2021). Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills training has shown promise as an effective intervention for ADHD in college students (Fleming et al., 2015) although DBT has typically been delivered face to face over a number of months. The current study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a brief (2-session) DBT-informed group intervention delivered via telehealth. Thirty-three students with at least five DSM-5 symptoms of ADHD were randomized to either a DBT skills group or a Brain Training group which consisted of online puzzle and attention games. Students in both groups received validation, discussion with peers, and psychoeducation. Students completed several measures related to number of ADHD symptoms, quality of life, mindfulness, and visual and auditory attention across three time points (pre, post, and one month follow-up). Statistical analyses revealed no differences based on treatment condition. However, regardless of group intervention, students did report improvements in quality of life, use of mindful nonjudgement skills, and number of ADHD symptoms. The results of this study suggest that providing an open and supportive environment for students with ADHD to meet and discuss their symptoms, learn about their disorder, and provide support to one another, may be beneficial. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

A Group Videoconferencing Intervention (C@nnected) to Improve Maternal Sensitivity: Protocol for a Randomized Feasibility Trial.

BACKGROUND: Early childhood development is highly dependent on the sensitive care provided by caregivers, and interventions focused on supporting parents to improve their sensitivity have shown to be effective. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health, with pregnant women and mothers of infants being an especially vulnerable group and maternal sensitivity particularly affected. However, access to face-to-face interventions is restricted; thus, it is important to have remote interventions to support this group of mothers. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of C@nnected, a group videoconferencing intervention to improve maternal sensitivity aimed at mother-infant dyads attending primary health care centers in vulnerable areas of Santiago, Chile. METHODS: This is a randomized feasibility single-masked (outcome assessor) study with a qualitative component. It will involve a block randomization procedure to generate a 3:2 allocation ratio (with more people allocated to the intervention arm). The intervention consists of 4 group videoconferencing sessions adapted from a face-to-face intervention with proven effectiveness. The control group will receive treatment as usual, along with educational brochures. The feasibility and acceptability of this study will be quantitatively and qualitatively assessed. Changes in clinical outcomes relating to maternal sensitivity, depressive symptoms, postpartum maternal attachment, and infant socioemotional development will also be evaluated. RESULTS: We finished adapting the face-to-face intervention to the videoconferencing format in July 2021. The study began recruitment in August 2021, and enrollment is expected to end in August 2022, with final study results expected in December 2022. CONCLUSIONS: This study will contribute evidence for the use of eHealth interventions to promote maternal sensitivity. It will also inform the design and implementation of a future randomized clinical trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04904861; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04904861. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/35881.

Short report. Cooking for autism: a pilot study of an innovative culinary laboratory for Italian adolescents and emerging adults with autism spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical periods for young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there is a lack of appropriate and affordable services available. AIMS: The Il Tortellante® is an Italian project aimed at promoting adaptive behavior and social skills, and at reducing the severity of symptomatology through a culinary group intervention in which young people with ASD learn to make fresh pasta by hand. METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted. PROCEDURE: Before and after the intervention, 20 participants were assessed based on the severity of symptoms, social skills, and adaptive behaviors. OUTCOME AND RESULTS: According to our findings, severity of symptoms and daily living skills improved significantly. CONCLUSION: A culinary intervention may be useful for adolescents and young adults with ASD to improve daily living skills and reduce ASD-related symptomatology. IMPLICATION: Services and associations may consider developing a culinary laboratory for people with ASD to improve group intervention proposals for adolescents and emerging adults. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS?: This paper offers one of the first investigations of the impact of a culinary laboratory on ASD symptoms, social skills, and adaptive behavior in adolescents and young adults diagnosed with ASD. This group intervention could contribute to expand the range of interventions targeted at adolescents and young adults with ASD, to reduce the severity of symptoms, and to promote adaptive behaviors.

Investigating the effect of inquiry-based stress reduction on mortality awareness and interpersonal problems among intensive care unit nurses

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 22[262] of BMC Psychiatry (see record 2022-54766-001). In the original article, authors identified that the year was provided incorrectly in reference 5. The reference has been corrected. 5. Mangolian Shahrbabaki P, Dehghan M, Maazallahi M, Asadi N. Fear and anxiety in girls aged 7 to 11 years old and related factors during the coronavirus pandemic. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2022;27(1):259-68.] Introduction: Caring for dying patients is one of the job stressors. Nurses in intensive care units are among the medical staff who have a close interaction with dying patients. Studies have shown that psychological interventions are very helpful in improving thinking about death and its problems. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction on mortality awareness and interpersonal problems among intensive care unit nurses in southeastern Iran. Materials and methods: This was a Quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design in southeast of Iran in 2021. Nurses were selected using the convenience sampling method and divided into intervention (n = 32) and control (n = 35) groups using the block randomization method. The intervention group received a two-hour Inquiry- Based Stress Reduction counseling session every week for 6 weeks. Data were gathered using Multidimensional Mortality Awareness Measure and Inventory of Interpersonal Problems before, immediately after, and 6 weeks after the intervention. IBM SPSS Statistics software version 25 was used for data analysis. Results: In the intervention group, the mean scores of Mortality Awareness before, immediately after, and 6 weeks after the intervention were 130.41 +/- 5.91, 164.47 +/- 8.66, and 163.91 +/- 9.29, respectively. Therefore, in the intervention group, the increase of Mortality Awareness mean score was statistically significant (P < 0.001). In the control group, the mean scores of Mortality Awareness before, immediately after, and 6 weeks after intervention were 129.63 +/- 5.59, 135.26 +/- 11.14, and 132.66 +/- 5.62, respectively. Difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.001). The results also showed that in the intervention group the mean scores of Interpersonal Problems immediately after and 6 weeks after the intervention were lower than before the intervention (P < 0.001). In the control group, Interpersonal Problems increased over time (P < 0.001). Accordingly, the difference between the two groups in terms of Interpersonal Problems during the study was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The study results suggest that the Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction is an appropriate intervention method to improve mortality awareness and reduce interpersonal problems in intensive care unit nurses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Nurturing attachments group: A virtual group intervention for adults caring for traumatised children in the context of COVID-19.

Background: Evidence indicates that the more traditional and behavioural parenting strategies are ineffective when parenting a child who has experienced developmental trauma. Recognising the need to parent with an attachment focus, the current paper evaluates the effectiveness of running the [Enfys] Nurturing Attachments Group, virtually, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A pilot feasibility study evaluated eight bespoke groups. Consenting professionals and co-professionals completed the Brief Parental Self-Efficacy Scale (BFSS), Care Questionnaire (CQ) and the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ). Results: One hundred forty individuals attended the groups, with 51 (36%) completing both pre-and post-measures. The results provide evidence that professionals and co-professionals reported statistically significant positive increases on both the BPSS (d = .55) and CQ (d = .62). For the PRFQ, the results showed a statistically significant decrease on the Pre-mentalising sub scale, a non-significant mid-range score for Certainty about Mental States and a non-significant increase for Parental Interest and Curiosity in Mental States. Conclusion: The study has demonstrated initial viability of effectively facilitating the [Enfys] Nurturing Attachments Group, virtually. Importantly, it has also shown that the group can be run with professionals alongside co-professionals.

Teaching and Practicing Cognitive-Behavioral and Mindfulness Skills in a Web-Based Platform among Older Adults through the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an acceleration in the development of web-based interventions to alleviate related mental health impacts. The current study explored the effects of a short-term digital group intervention aimed at providing cognitive behavioral and mindfulness tools and skills to reduce loneliness and depression and to increase social support among older adults in Israel. This pilot randomized controlled trial included community-dwelling older adults (n = 82; aged between 65-90 years; 80% female) who were randomized either to an intervention group (n = 64) or a wait-list control group (n = 18). The intervention included seven online sessions, over 3.5 weeks. Depression, loneliness, and social support measures were administered at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 1-month follow-up. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed statistically and clinically significant reductions in depression in the intervention group, with results maintained at one-month follow-up. Loneliness levels also significantly decreased post-intervention; however, this benefit was not maintained at one-month follow-up. Social support slightly increased both post-intervention and 1-month follow-up-but these changes were not statistically significant. There were no overall changes for the wait-list control group. Our intervention provided promising evidence regarding the effectiveness of an online group intervention to alleviate mental health effects and to promote the coping of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. This relatively simple model can be effectively utilized by communities globally to help connect lonely and isolated older inhabitants, both during the pandemic and in more routine times.

Lost in the matrix: Dialectical tensions in facilitating virtual video groups during COVID-19 pandemic.

The research phenomenologically explored the experience of facilitating virtual video groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research questions addressed relational processes in virtual video groups, including emotional presence, interpersonal communication, and intimacy. Specifically, we asked how facilitators can intervene effectively to promote these processes in the virtual space, within the context of social distancing. Semi-structured group interviews were held with 26 female group facilitators from various professional backgrounds during the first wave of COVID-19 in Israel in May 2020. Phenomenological analysis yielded five main themes addressing dialectical tensions that operate simultaneously in the virtual space, both enabling and hindering relational processes in virtual video groups: intimacy and intrusion in the domestic space; sharp transitions from presence to absence; fragmented processing despite abundant information; sterility and clarity in group communication; and the hyper-aware self - being a participant and an observer at the same time. Moving groups into a virtual sphere challenged the traditional role of facilitators, who struggled to create a safe space in an unstable virtual setting where the boundaries between personal and professional lives were reduced. Findings also point to the potential of the domestic space to promote closeness and intimacy and suggest the virtual space requires facilitators to embrace multiplicity as a state of mind when intervening. Facilitators must work with permeable boundaries between inner and outer group spaces, accept discontinuity as a basic property of the virtual, and acknowledge the limitations caused by multiple stimuli.

A pilot randomized controlled trial of a group intervention via Zoom to relieve loneliness and depressive symptoms among older persons during the COVID-19 outbreak.

While effective in reducing infections, social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak may carry ill effects on the mental health of older adults. The present study explored the efficacy of a short-term digital group intervention aimed at providing seniors with the tools and skills necessary for improving their coping ability during these stressful times. A total of 82 community-dwelling adults aged between 65 aged 90 (Mage = 72 years, SD = 5.63) were randomized to either an intervention group (n = 64) or a wait-list control group (n = 18). The intervention comprised online guided sessions in small groups in which behavioral and cognitive techniques were learned and practiced via the ZOOM videoconferencing platform. Loneliness and depression levels were measured pre- and post-participation. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the intervention group in terms of both loneliness and depressive symptoms, compared with the control group. Results of mixed effect models indicated a medium ameliorative effect on loneliness (d = 0.58), while that for depressive symptoms was only marginally significant and smaller in size (d = 0.43). Our intervention presents a relatively simple and effective technique that can be efficiently utilized to support older adults both during emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as in more routine times for older adults who live alone or reside in remote areas.

Group therapy via videoconferencing for individuals with early psychosis: A pilot study.

AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced many mental health professionals to therapy via videoconferencing. Mostly individual teletherapy has been offered and studied, although group therapy is often offered in clinics. In fact, little is known regarding group therapy's acceptability, feasibility, and potential impact when offered via videoconferencing. METHODS: This pilot study offered group cognitive-behavioural therapy for psychosis via videoconferencing to 14 individuals with early psychosis either living in remote areas or confined during the pandemic. RESULTS: The rate of consenting to the study (79%) and actual participation rates were acceptable (18.5 sessions out of 24). Although some technological obstacles were encountered, solutions offered allowed the videoconferencing group to be considered feasible for most participants and therapists. Prepost results on symptoms and self-esteem were comparable to those of other studies using the same group treatment but in-person. Alliance scores seemed similar as well. CONCLUSIONS: More studies are warranted on the efficacy of group therapy via videoconferencing. This pilot study does offer promising results, suggesting that a wider range of people with early psychosis can be reached and benefit from the advantages of receiving an evidence-based group intervention.