Medical utilization and treatment outcome in mid- and long-term outpatient psychotherapy

Abstract

Abstract Change in medical health care costs and hospital days in the course of mid- and long-term psychotherapy was investigated in relation to psychological and somatic outcome of the psychotherapeutic treatment. In this prospective, naturalistic longitudinal study, medical costs and number of hospital days over a 4-year period were determined for 176 participants on the basis of insurance claims files. In regard to somatic distress, psychotherapeutic treatment outcome had a significant impact on the reduction of medical costs beyond a strong influence of pretreatment medical costs. In addition, small negative correlations between age and session number with change in medical costs were found. Results are discussed in the context of the search for possible mechanisms and determinants of a medical cost offset in mid- and long-term outpatient psychotherapy. In dieser Arbeit wurde untersucht, wie sich Gesundheitskosten und Krankenhaustage unter Psychotherapie mittlerer und langer Dauer verandern und in wel...