Science & Technology, UK (Commonwealth Union) – Numerous factors can impact our mental health, from the death of a loved to the impact of facing a serious illness and more recently the financial crisis in many parts of the world and pandemic lockdowns. Group therapy sessions where different people come together to discus a common issue have played a key role in helping individuals handle problems effectively.
The 1st ever trial of a revolutionary group approach to anxiety and depression has demonstrated that it is no less effective than the one-on-one sessions 1000s of individuals obtain from the National Health Service (NHS) daily.
The trial contrasted the ‘Take Control Course’ for up to 20 individuals which was drawn up by the University of Manchester researchers, with standard talking therapy, where both occurred in 6 weekly sessions.
The study appeared in the journal Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.
The course was based on Perceptual Control Theory, which is based on a precise programme, teaching attendees regarding the significance of control in life and when to pursue it, when to let go and ways of balancing conflicting priorities.
Participants gain knowledge on ways to face longstanding fears and anxieties, and how to look at the bigger picture as well as longer term goals, drawing on their strengths from within.
Participants do not need to talk about their mental health, but have the option to do so if they choose.
The randomized controlled trial, carried out by The University of Manchester led team had 156 individuals that were recruited from the NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service.
They were given the option of the Take Control Course or the established 6 sessions of one-to-one therapy provided by IAPT.
Following a 6-month checkup, there was an absence of evidence from a difference in mental health outcomes between the 2 interventions. Following another 6 months, however, there was a lack of data presenting conclusive results.
The measures applied by the researchers consisted of a Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire and other psychological tools.
In spite, the course being delivered by Six Degrees over the last 8 years and adjusted for use in high schools for the Manchester Healthy Schools, this is the 1st time it was evaluated by a randomized trial, which has also been sent online.
Lead author Lydia Morris, who is a Clinical Lecturer at University of Manchester, and works with Warren Mansell, Honorary Reader at The University of Manchester as well as Professor of Mental Health at Curtin University, Perth.
He said: “There are many effective talking therapies for common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
“However, training therapists are expensive, and some people prefer to meet in groups, rather than to talking to someone about their problems.
“The success of one to one talking therapies may often depend on the match between the therapist and client.
“The Take Control course, however is always delivered in exactly the same format.”
Co-author Tanya Wallwork was engaged with Salford Six Degrees over the last decade and was a co-author of the manual utilized by facilitators of the course says “As soon as I came across this course I knew how useful it could be. And the outcomes bear that out. Each week we use objective measures to assess the impact of using taking part in the course and the results are consistently good.”
The participants, were primarily referred by their general practitioners, which were recruited from Salford Six Degrees Social Enterprise, that was a low-intensity IAPT Service.
The findings of the study are likely to offer key insights for professionals engaged in the treatment of anxiety and depression.
