Verbal Participation in Group Therapy: A Comparative Study on New Mexico Ethnic Groups

Abstract

This study examined the verbal participation of Anglos, Mexican Americans and Native Americans in group therapy sessions for alcoholic patients. Fifteen therapy groups with a total number of 265 alcoholic inpatients, were recorded for the patients' verbal participation. The data are analyzed in ethnic categories and show that the Anglo patients have significantly higher verbal participation than either of the two other ethnic groups in the study. The need to reconsider the advantage and disadvantage of homogeneous or heterogeneous ethnic groupings in therapy is discussed.