Anxiety Levels, Group Characteristics, and Members’ Behaviors in the Termination Stage of Support Groups for Patients Recovering From Heart Attacks

Abstract

Objective: Examining the significance of the termination stage of support group activity and its effectiveness in alleviating anxiety among patients recovering from their first heart attack. Methods: 82 patients, 50 of whom participated in seven support groups, fill in questionnaires at six stages of the group intervention. Six observers conducted two stages of qualitative analysis of the groups’ last meetings’ videotapes. Results: The findings revealed a temporary increase in anxiety levels during the termination stage among the groups that effectively alleviated anxiety. These findings are partially explained by two components of the Group Environmental Scale: cohesiveness and task orientation. Resistance and ambivalence were typical behavior patterns of members at the termination stage of effective groups. Conclusions: Measuring group effectiveness before, during, and after the intervention enriches the knowledge of the correlation between group processes and group outcomes. Identifying behavior patterns contribute to social worker’s online ability to evaluate group effectiveness.