Erfolg von Psychotherapieempfehlungen bei psychosomatischen Konsiliarpatienten einer neurologischen Station

Abstract

This study investigates the success of recommendations for psychotherapy given in a psychosomatic consultation service to neurological inpatients. In 2005, a subset of 401 (55.7 %) former neurologic inpatients from the initial sample of 720 who underwent psychosomatic consultation between 1999 and 2004 completed follow-up questionnaires to telephone interviews. 279 (69.6 %) participants stated that they had received a recommendation for in- or outpatient psychotherapy during the psychosomatic consultation. Of these, 152 (54.5 %) followed this recommendation. No differences in age, gender, familial status, initial symptoms, and diagnoses were detected between those who underwent psychotherapy and those who did not. Patients who underwent psychotherapy reported significant improvement of symptoms, less impairment, and less disability. A psychosomatic consultation may be a useful adjunct to neurological diagnostics in order to determine the correct diagnosis and therapy for patients with pseudo-neurological symptoms or evidence of psychological problems.