NATURAL-HISTORY OF A PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP FOR BATTERED WOMEN

Although there is growing evidence (Gelles, 1974; Levinger, 1966; O’Brien, 1971; Scott, 1974) that numerous women are the victims of physical abuse from their husbands or lovers, little attention has been given in the psychiatric literature to treatment strategies directed to them. This paper presents the authors’ experience with evaluation and treatment of battered women and assesses the implications of the work. Assuming that battered women have special problems requiring modifications of psychiatric treatment methods currently available, we chose to work with them in a consciousness-raising, problemoriented group designed to address those special problems. Assessment includes a description of changes in the women and modifications in the treatment during the course of therapy, an indication of persistent problems in the treatment of battered women, particularly the high drop-out rate, and suggestions for further treatment modifications that might help therapists to avoid the common pitfalls of work with these patients. © 1979 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.