What Research Says
"Evidence-based findings on the effectiveness of group therapy."
Patient-centered group psychotherapy for depression
Systematic review and meta-analysis found significant improvements in depressive symptoms, emotional functioning, and social functioning among participants receiving patient-centered group psychotherapy.
Yin, Wan, & Wang, 2025. Patient-centered group psychotherapy for depression and negative emotions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. In Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16.
Group treatment for emotional disorders
Research found strong support for group-based transdiagnostic therapy approaches in treating anxiety, depression, and emotional disorders in adults.
Ayuso-Bartol, Gómez-Martínez, Riesco-Matías, & Yela-Bernabé, 2024. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Efficacy and Effectiveness of the Unified Protocol for Emotional Disorders in Group Format for Adults. In International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. Also see: McDermut, et al., 2001. In Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice.
Group peer support and mental health
Studies found that group-based peer support interventions can significantly improve recovery-related outcomes, hope, empowerment, and symptoms in people experiencing mental health difficulties.
Lyons, Cooper, & Lloyd-Evans, 2021. A systematic review and meta-analysis of group peer support interventions for people experiencing mental health conditions. In BMC Psychiatry. Also see: Rosendahl, 2023. In Am J Psychother.
Group therapy for social anxiety disorder
Meta-analysis found strong evidence that group psychotherapy is effective for social anxiety disorder and supports the idea that group therapy can be as effective as alternative treatment formats.
Barkowski, Schwartze, Strauss, Burlingame, & Rosendahl, 2016. Efficacy of group psychotherapy for social anxiety disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. In Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 39, 44-64.
Group CBT compared to individual therapy
Research reviewing small group treatments concluded that group-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be just as effective as individual therapy in reducing psychological symptoms.
Burlingame & Strauss, 2021. Efficacy of small group treatments: Foundation for evidence-based practice. In Barkham, Lutz, & Castonguay (Eds.), Bergin and Garfield's handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change.
Psychotherapies for depression
This large body of meta-analytic research concluded that different psychotherapy formats — including group therapy — are effective for depression and can achieve outcomes comparable to antidepressant medication, especially over the long term.
Cuijpers, et al., 2022. Psychotherapies for depression: A network and meta-analytic overview.
Group psychotherapy for anxiety disorders
A systematic review of 57 studies concluded that group psychotherapy significantly reduces symptoms of anxiety disorders compared to no-treatment and control conditions.
Barkowski, Schwartze, Strauss, Burlingame, & Rosendahl, 2020. Efficacy of group psychotherapy for anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. In Psychotherapy Research, 30(8), 965-982.
Psychological interventions in routine practice
Systematic review found strong evidence that psychological therapies delivered in routine clinical settings — including group interventions — produce meaningful improvements across a wide range of mental health conditions.
Wakefield, Kellett, Simmonds-Buckley, et al., 2022. The Effectiveness of Psychological Interventions Delivered in Routine Practice: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. In Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research (2023 issue).
Online versus face-to-face group therapy
Research found that online group interventions generally produce outcomes comparable to face-to-face group therapy across many psychological and psychosocial conditions.
Rafieifar, Hanbidge, Lorenzini, & Macgowan, 2024. Comparative Efficacy of Online vs. Face-to-Face Group Interventions: A Systematic Review. In Research on Social Work Practice.
Open versus closed psychotherapy groups
Systematic review concluded that both open and closed psychotherapy groups are effective formats, supporting the continued use of group psychotherapy across different clinical settings.
Südmeier & Muschalla, 2024. Differential Effectiveness of Open Versus Closed Psychotherapy Groups: A Systematic Review. In American Journal of Psychotherapy.
Improving outcomes in depression treatment
A large meta-analytic review concluded that multiple psychotherapy formats — including group therapy — are effective for depression and can achieve outcomes comparable to medication, with potentially stronger long-term effects. In some cases, group therapy has also been linked to lower relapse rates—especially when participants benefit from shared experiences and mutual support.
Cuijpers, et al., 2024. How to Improve Outcomes of Psychological Treatment of Depression: Lessons From 'Next-Level' Meta-Analytic Research. Also see: Gutner, et al., 2016. In Psychol. Trauma.
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