Treating Aggression in Self-Referred, Outpatient Adults: A Pilot Study of Group-Delivered Mindfulness and Modification Therapy

Despite the high individual and societal costs of aggression, research on treatment of aggression for self-referred outpatient adults has been limited. The current pilot study investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary utility of an integrated group therapy (mindfulness and modification therapy [MMT]) targeting aggression in self-referred adults. Participants (N = 10) completed 12 weeks of group-delivered MMT. Physical, verbal, and object-directed aggression were assessed at baseline, after each weekly session, and at 2-month follow-up. As predicted, participants completed homework an average of more than twice a week, reported strong therapeutic alliance, and rated the treatment as highly helpful. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for nonparametric comparisons showed (a) significant decreases in physical, verbal, and object-directed aggression, (b) large effect sizes for all types of aggression, and (c) no significant deterioration of effects at follow-up. Participants also displayed significant increases in mindfulness. Although preliminary, results suggest that MMT may be feasible and acceptable in treating adults self-referred for aggression.