Prognostic factors in psychotherapy.

Abstract

From a large number of applicants to the psychiatric clinic, those patients who expressed a great desire for help which involved more than just symptomatic relief and who stimulated a positive reaction in the doctor, tended to be accepted for treatment more often than others. These patients were more likely to be diagnosed as having psychoneurotic reactions while the more poorly motivated patients were more likely to be diagnosed as having personality disorders. The well-motivated patients were apt to be considered good subjects for brief nonintensive psychotherapy, and in fact a very high percentage of them were helped by such treatment. There is some danger that the poorly motivated, more difficult patient will be avoided rather than considered a greater challenge.