抄録
The authors have managed a group psychotherapy club for patients with burning mouth syndrome for the past four years. Burning mouth syndrome is a psychogenic or idiopathic burning discomfort or pain that affects people with clinically normal oral mucosa in whom a medical or dental cause has been excluded. The patients suffer from oral pain, but other people can not understand the reason for this. Such patients tend to feel isolated as a result. The purpose of this exercise in group psychotherapy is to relieve their pain and improve their quality of life through the sympathetic experience of the group. One of the authors is a facilitator at club meetings, and another audits the activity through a process of reviews. The club's meetings are held in a room at our hospital for two hours each once a month. We have held 50 sessions during the last 4 years and 2 months with a combined total of 22 participants and average of 4.7 patients per session. Analysis of the group dynamics finds evidence of feelings of sympathy, catharsis, transference, insight, and self-help therapeutic functions. It is suggested that group psychotherapy for patients with burning mouth syndrome is a very helpful therapeutic method.
