Cognitive-behavioral group therapy for intermittent explosive disorder: description and preliminary analysis

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a group therapy based on cognitive-behavioral techniques customized for intermittent explosive disorder (IED). The current report presents the preliminary results of a clinical trial comparing pre- and post-intervention scores in different anger dimensions. Methods: The studied sample consisted of 84 treatment-seeking subjects. The mean (standard deviation) age was 43.0 (11.9) years, and 78% were male. The therapeutic group program consisted of 15 weekly sessions plus three maintenance sessions. The sessions lasted approximately 90 minutes each. Results: No differences were found in demographic profile and pre-treatment status between subjects who completed treatment (n=59) and dropouts (n=25). Comparison of State-Trait Anger Expression Scale (STAXI) scores pre- and post-treatment showed statistically significant changes in all anger scales and subscales of the questionnaire. Conclusion: This preliminary report is a significant addition to currently scarce clinical data. Our findings provide further evidence that structured cognitive-behavioral group therapy, with a focus on anger management and cognitive coping, may be a promising approach to the treatment of IED.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Costa,Ana M., Medeiros,Gustavo C., Redden,Sarah, Grant,Jon E., Tavares,Hermano, Seger,Liliana
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria 2018
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462018000300316
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