Motivation for therapy and the results of inpatient treatment of patients with a generalized anxiety disorder: A prospective study

Abstract

Whether the primary motivation for entering therapy significantly influences the results of inpatient psychotherapeutic treatment is subject to debate. The purpose of this study was to examine this question in women with generalized anxiety disorder. The monitored results from 54 female inpatients (29 who were highly motivated to enter therapy and 25 who were minimally motivated) were compared. The questionnaire for measuring psychotherapy motivation (FMP), the symptom checklist (SCL-90-R) and the questionnaire for measuring change of experience and behavior (VEV) were used to assess motivation and results of treatment. The patients were tested at admission and after the fourth and sixth weeks of therapy, at which time the patients with high primary motivation showed a significantly more marked reduction of anxiety symptoms (SCL-90-R, P < 0.01). These patients also had better test results on the VEV (P < 0.01). However, both quantitative and qualitative improvements in motivation for therapy were observed among the less motivated patients, and this improvement did not differ from that of the highly motivated group on most scales of the FMP (P < 0.05 to P = 0.43). Highly motivated patients with generalized anxiety disorder can profit significantly more from inpatient psychosomatic treatment than those who have less primary motivation. However, less motivated patients can show significant positive changes in developing motivation for therapy, as well as in the final results of treatment. Establishing and developing motivation prior to hospitalization might contribute to more efficient and cost-effective clinical treatment.