Specific offer of inpatient group psychotherapy with young adults An experience report

An increase in the demand for inpatient psychotherapy treatment places for young adults prompted the management of a psychiatric treatment clinic to broaden the existing treatment concept by a specific offer for patients aged 18-30 years old. Since then the 8-9 young inpatients of the psychotherapy ward attend a variety of group treatment offers of the multimodal therapy program together, as a nearly homogeneous group, including group psychotherapy. Young adults share their everyday life and also some parts of the treatment with the older patients (>30 years) on the ward, which also form a therapy group themselves. These modifications are in accordance with measures recently demanded by transitional psychiatry to create treatment offers bridging the gap between pediatric and adolescence psychiatry and also adult psychiatry. The modified concept was more positively assessed than its predecessor both by inpatients and by the members of staff. Within the homogeneous age group, a stronger focus on the personal concerns of the young adults can be achieved. The higher coherence of the group favors an intensive exchange of the young patients in group psychotherapy with respect to personal problems and facilitates new, positive interpersonal experiences. Lack of assurance, feelings of shame, and conformity pressure can block young adults in the course of group psychotherapeutic processes and need special attention.