A pilot study on an analytic psychodrama group for cancer patients and family members

Drawing on semi-structured interviews, this exploratory study uses a qualitative content analysis to document the possible benefits of the analytic psychodrama group (APG) in cancer recovery, a topic currently under-investigated. These preliminary results show that group therapy started positive changes and coping processes for the participants in several areas. In particular participants find that APG helped them to increase self-awareness, express and share feelings, reduce fears, make decisions. Some APG devices are described as useful for developing intersubjectivity and empathy in social relations. Further studies involving larger samples of participants are needed to evaluate APG efficacy with this typology of participants.