Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a structured, collaborative psychotherapy, which emphasizes the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviour in maintaining psychological disorders. Over the last decade, CBT techniques have been shown to have a robust efficacy in studies with the child and adolescent population, and more recently, when delivered as group interventions for young people. This article describes the clinical outcome of eight adolescents who attended a 12- session CBT group programme run once a week within a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). The group differs from previous CBT groups for adolescents described in the literature, in that those attending had a wide range of different psychiatric and developmental disorders. Most had received some type of previous psychological or psychopharmacological intervention, but had remaining deficits, particularly in the area of social relating. The therapeutic techniques used, the setting and the principles are described in detail. Results are presented in terms of clinical change, as reported by the adolescent’s carers, their schools and the group participants themselves. It is concluded that the CBT group programme is a user-friendly and clinically valuable adjunct to other therapeutic methods, specifically in ameliorating social skill deficits, which, untreated, would be a risk factor for relapse. Further quantitative research into the properties of the CBT group programme is indicated.
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