Elders' perceptions of the role of group psychotherapy in fostering self-transcendence

Psychotherapeutic goals and interventions for older adults, like those for children and other age groups, need to be developmentally appropriate. Past clinical research has shown that self-transcendence is a resource for mental health in later life. The effectiveness of group psychotherapy in facilitating self-transcendence in elders was examined, applying a method of analysis in which a small, intact clinical sample could be used to generate data for research purposes. Results, based on a matrix analysis of group members' perceptions, indicated that group psychotherapy enhanced self-transcendence in various ways. Group psychotherapy may be used not only as a cost-effective treatment modality, but also as a theory-based intervention that is developmentally-appropriate for elders.