Entspricht die Symptombesserung vier Wochen nach Behandlungsbeginn dem Erfolg in der Ein-Jahres-Katamnese? - Eine Studie zur stationären psychodynamischen Psychotherapie

Abstract

Objectives : This study was conducted to explore differentiated aspects of outcome throughout and one year after psychodynamic inpatient psychotherapy with special regard to symptomatic distress and interpersonal behaviour. Methods: Sixty-four patients of the Department of Psychotherapeutic Medicine of the Jerichow Hospital (Saxonia-Anhaltina) were investigated with the SCL-90-R and the IIP-D four times: at the beginning of inpatient psychotherapy (t°), four weeks after (t1), at the end (t2), and one year after discharge (t3). Results: The improvement of symptoms four weeks after the beginning of psycho dynamic inpatient psychotherapy is equivalent with long term outcome. The Global Severity Index of SCL-90-R demonstrated a statistically significant change from mark edly psychological distress to lack of distress after four weeks psychodynamic inpatient psychotherapy (effect-size d(GSI) = 0.82). At the end of psychotherapy, three weeks later, the effect-size was d = 1.11, and one year after discharge the effect-size de creased again to d — 0.85. Major improvements demonstrated the SCL-90-R subscales Depression, Anxiety, and Obsessive/Compulsive. Regarding interpersonal problems, the subscales Dominance, and Competitive demonstrated statistically significant changes from low Stanine-scores at t° to higher scores one year after discharge. The subscales Socially avoidant, Nonassertive, and Exploitable demonstrated statistical significant changes from high levels at t° to lower scores after one year. Discussion: In conclusion the first four weeks of psychodynamic psychotherapy are not sufficient to demonstrate an optimum level of low psychological distress as well as an optimum change in interpersonal problems. Regarding stability of the effects of psychodynamic inpatient psychotherapy it was demonstrated that the first four