This book will be the first to focus exclusively on inpatient therapeutic groupwork in acute psychiatry, from a multi-disciplinary perspective. All authors are active groupwork practitioners, who provide vivid case material providing unique insights into the group process.

Writers make the argument for the importance of therapeutic groupwork in acute inpatient settings. They describes survey data that show an absence of therapeutic activity on wards and the need for a ‘culture of participation’. They describes some national schemes designed to improve the situation, such as the Star Wards initiative. Two authors look the state of research on therapeutic groupwork in inpatient settings, and suggest how the evidence base might be strengthened.

The book will be of great value to any mental health professional, whether qualified or in training. Although reflecting experience in British clinical settings, the issues raised have a wider interest for those working to achieve excellent acute inpatient psychiatric settings in other countries.

Part 1: Background and Principles
What actually happens on acute wards? An observational study.
Jonathan Radcliffe and Roger Smith
Is it possible to make acute wards into therapeutic communities?
Leonard Fagin
The relevance of the entire team to practicing groupwork on the ward.
Bob Harris
Acute wards: Context, pressures and satisfactions.
Frank Holloway
Reflections on the psychodynamics of an acute ward: Bion’s work in practice.
Richard Duggins
Containing the uncontainable: A role for staff support groups.
Ian Simpson
Groupwork: The evidence base.
Chris Evans et al
The working alliance in groupwork on acute psychiatric wards.
Oded Manor

Part 2: Specific Therapeutic Applications
Specific Therapeutic Applications. Inpatient group therapy based on the Yalom Interpersonal Model.
Katja Hajek
The groupworker as consultant to the group.
Adam Jefford, Bhupinderjit Kaur Pharwaha and Alistair Grandison
Running structured problem solving groups on acute wards.
Susan J. Grey
Psychodynamically informed groupwork with patients with psychosis:Challenges for co-therapists.
Jack Nathan and Wil Pennycook-Graves
Applying the Kanas Method on an acute ward.
Ronan McIvor and Wil Pennycook-Graves
Kibel groups and their dynamic perspective.
Torben Heinskou
Psychodynamic discussion groups on acute wards.
Jonathan Radcliffe and Debora Diamond
Using groups to provide containment and structure on an adolescent acute ward.
Dylan Griffiths
Moving groupwork into the day hospital setting.
Isaura Manso Neto

Jonathan Radcliffe Katja Hajek Jerome Carson Oded Manor