THE METHOD OF RELATION ANALYSIS IN SMALL PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUPS OF PSYCHOTIC PATIENTS

The application of methods which study the interpersonal relations within small psychotherapy group enables the study of phenomena which reflect the specific nature of the processes related to the disorder and can significantly contribute to the improvement of psychotherapeutic techniques. The relation analysis method which combines the traditional sociometric questionnaire and the test of social perception was used in the study to compare the six small psychotherapy groups of paranoid patients (a total of 52), who made up the experimental group, with a control group consisting of five small psychotherapy groups of schizophrenic patients (a total of 30 patients). The sociometric questionnaire was constructed for the three selection criteria, and the test of social perception included two questionnaires for the evaluation of autoperception and the collective perception of intelligence and social status. All of the questionnaires were adapted and were used for the first time for research purposes within psychotherapy groups of psychotic patients. The obtained results clearly reflect the same characteristics of various processes of the disorders (paranoid and schizophrenic), while the objectified differences indicate the possible modifications of psychotherapeutic techniques adapted precisely to these differences. Acta Medica Medianae 2016;55(3):21-26.