Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, Vol 28(3), Sep 2024, 121-131; doi:10.1037/gdn0000228
Objective: A 5-year journey is described with three organizations that jointly sponsored international teams to produce the first phase of an evidence based group treatment (EBGT) website. The confluence of advances in both the training and research-supported group treatment protocols for common psychiatric and medical indications created the impetus for this resource. As expected, considerable time was invested in creating a consensual agreement on sponsorship responsibilities, goals, structure, development process, and maintenance of the website. Method: Senior authors of disorder-specific meta-analyses testing the differential effectiveness of group treatment protocols published over the past 10 years were invited as content experts for twelve common psychiatric and medical indications. A common codebook was used for these meta-analyses ensuring some degree of comparability although differences in comparators and treatments emerged by disorder. Results: Seven senior authors agreed to summarize and, in some cases, update their meta-analytic findings to illustrate the process for producing content for the EBGT website along with a clinical example and considerations regarding diversity, strengths, and future directions. Two commentaries are provided by group treatment experts. Conclusions: The results illustrate the variability of treatment offerings and the rigor of extant research across common psychiatric disorders. Some disorders and treatments are more mature in producing evidence-based recommendations while others are still emerging. Future directions for the website and concluding thoughts are shared. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)