Open Trial on Crisis Psychotherapy in Padova, Italy

Abstract

Crisis psychotherapy is addressed to patients with feelings of impotence: a precise psychological correlate characteristic of the crisis situation. Associated with this picture are anxious-depressive and personality disorders. Prevention focuses on recovering previous level of functioning in order to forestall the evolution of maladaptive behaviors that may in turn lead to chronic pathology or suicide. The aim of this study was to preliminarily assess symptom outcome in 42 cases treated with the model adopted in Padua, Italy. Assessment was based on various instruments to explore depression (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI], Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HRSD]), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Expression Inventory [STAI]), anger (State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory [STAXI]), global functioning (Global Assessment Scale [GAS]), social adjustment (Social Adaption Self Evaluation Scale [SASS]), stressful events, and personality (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV [SCID II]). Depression and anxiety levels displayed a significant decrease at the end of treatment. There was also a significant reduction in levels of trait anxiety and anger, probably indicating a “return to baseline” after a destabilizing experience. These effects mark a “traumatic” impasse resulting from stressful life events that may be either real external events or subjectively traumatic psychological events. Other positive effects of the therapy were improvement in global functioning and renewed interest in social relations. Some degree of comorbidity with personality disorders emerged, especially from DSM-IV clusters C and B. Further controlled studies are warranted to assess the effect of spontaneous remission on this intervention technique. [Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 3:37–46 (2003)]