ABSTRACT
Problem: A focus group interview is a measurement technique in which a small group of individuals participate in a semistructured interview. Unlike traditional interviews, the participants in a focus group interview are encouraged to share their ideas with each other in arriving at answers to the questions. Although it is a measurement technique, two researchers conducted a study using focus group participation as a treatment in a study. Specifically, their purpose was "to determine if elderly participants in a focus group discussion, designed to promote an in-depth exploration of worry and anxiety, reported long-term therapeutic benefits in their experience of worry." The researchers noted that "The only study to assess the effects of focus group participation found nonspecific short-term positive benefits ... The long-term benefits of focus group discussions and their impact on the personal psychological lives of group members have not yet been assessed."
