Short-term Group Therapy Research Articles

Psychological Mindedness and Psychotherapy Process in Short-Term Group Therapy.

Psychological mindedness is regarded as an important patient characteristic that can influence the course of psychotherapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between patients' capacity for psychological mindedness and aspects of the group psychotherapy process as experienced and rated by therapists and other group members. Participants were 110 patients who completed two forms of short-term group therapy for the treatment of complicated grief. Psychological mindedness was assessed at pretreatment by external raters using a video-interview procedure. Group therapists assessed patients' therapeutic work and therapeutic alliance following each group therapy session. Therapists and other group members rated each patient's expression of emotion and provided appraisals of their cohesion to each patient throughout the course of therapy. Psychological mindedness was found to be positively associated with several group process variables as rated by the therapist and other group members.

Short-Term Group Therapy for Complicated Grief: The Relationship Between Patients’ In-Session Reflection and Outcome

Objective: The objective of the present study was to examine the nature of patients’ work in two types of short-term group psychotherapy. The study sought to investigate the relationship between patients’ psychodynamic work versus supportive work in group psychotherapy and treatment outcome at termination and at 6-month follow-up. Psychodynamic work refers to reflection regarding intrapsychic motivations, defenses, and relational patterns, and supportive work refers to practical problem solving. Method: Participants were 110 patients who completed two forms of group therapy for complicated grief: interpretive therapy and supportive therapy. Two types of patients’ in-session activity—psychodynamic work and supportive work—were rated by group therapists in both treatments. Pre-post and follow-up outcome domains included general symptoms, grief symptoms, and life dissatisfaction/severity of target objectives. Results: There was no significant difference in the nature of patients’ therapeutic work between interpretive and supportive groups. Psychodynamic work was associated with pre-post improvement in grief symptoms. Psychodynamic work was also associated with further improvement in grief symptoms at 6-month follow-up, along with improvement in broader symptom domains. Supportive work was not associated with any pre-post or follow-up benefit. Conclusion: The findings provide evidence that psychodynamic work—focused on the development of insight and self-reflection—in group psychotherapy can contribute to further benefit after the completion of treatment. This finding cut across two approaches to short-term group therapy for complicated grief, suggesting that it may reflect a general curative mechanism of group treatments.

Hyperprolactinemia phenomenon in neurotic and personality disorders and changes in prolactin level after the psychotherapy

IntroductionHyperprolactinemia is a common endocrinological disorder. Some data suggest that psychological factors (e.g. personality traits) may play a role in hyperprolactinemia genesis.ObjectivesIncreased prolactin level (PRL) is described as clinical observations in some patients, usually with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. In the international literature there is lack of broader description and information of clinical implications of this phenomenon.AimThe aim of the study is to evaluate the prevalence of hyperprolactinemia in patients with diagnoses F40-F69 according to ICD-10 and an evaluation of the changes in PRL after psychotherapy.MethodsThe study population comprised 64 patients, mainly females (73%), with primary diagnosis of neurotic or personality disorder. Prolactin level was measured during the first and last week of the psychotherapy. Between the measurements patients underwent intensive short-term (12 weeks) group psychotherapy in a day hospital for neurotic and behavioural disorders.ResultsHyperprolactinemia was found in 41% of males and 42.4% of females in the study group. After psychotherapy significant reduction in prolactin level was observed in 80% of woman with hyperprolactinemia.ConclusionsHyperprolactinemia is observed in almost 40% of patients with neurotic and personality disorders. Psychodynamic psychotherapy can be a significant factor improving PRL level in patients with neurotic and personality disorders, specifically women.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Cognitive behavioural therapy and short-term psychoanalytical psychotherapy versus a brief psychosocial intervention in adolescents with unipolar major depressive disorder (IMPACT): a multicentre, pragmatic, observer-blind, randomised controlled superiority trial

SummaryBackgroundPsychological treatments for adolescents with unipolar major depressive disorder are associated with diagnostic remission within 28 weeks in 65–70% of patients. We aimed to assess the medium-term effects and costs of psychological therapies on maintenance of reduced depression symptoms 12 months after treatment.MethodsWe did this multicentre, pragmatic, observer-blind, randomised controlled superiority trial (IMPACT) at 15 National Health Service child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) clinics in three regions in England. Adolescent patients (aged 11–17 years) with a diagnosis of DSM IV major depressive disorder were randomly assigned (1:1:1), via a web-based randomisation service, to receive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or short-term psychoanalytical therapy versus a reference brief psychological intervention. Randomisation was stochastically minimised by age, sex, self-reported depression sum score, and region. Patients and clinicians were aware of group allocation, but allocation was concealed from outcome assessors. Patients were followed up and reassessed at weeks 6, 12, 36, 52, and 86 post-randomisation. The primary outcome was self-reported depression symptoms at weeks 36, 52, and 86, as measured with the self-reported Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ). Because our aim was to compare the two psychological therapies with the brief psychosocial intervention, we first established whether CBT was inferior to short-term psychoanalytical psychotherapy for the same outcome. Primary analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials, number ISRCTN83033550.FindingsBetween June 29, 2010, and Jan 17, 2013, we randomly assigned 470 patients to receive the brief psychosocial intervention (n=158), CBT (n=155), or short-term psychoanalytical therapy (n=157); 465 patients comprised the intention-to-treat population. 392 (84%) patients had available data for primary analysis by the end of follow-up. Treatment fidelity and differentiation were established between the three interventions. The median number of treatment sessions differed significantly between patients in the brief psychosocial intervention group (n=6 [IQR 4–11]), CBT group (n=9 [5–14]), and short-term psychoanalytical therapy group (n=11 [5–23]; p<0·0001), but there was no difference between groups in the average duration of treatment (27·5 [SD 21·5], 24·9 [17·7], 27·9 [16·8] weeks, respectively; Kruskal–Wallis p=0·238). Self-reported depression symptoms did not differ significantly between patients given CBT and those given short-term psychoanalytical therapy at weeks 36 (treatment effect 0·179, 95% CI −3·731 to 4·088; p=0·929), 52 (0·307, −3·161 to 3·774; p=0·862), or 86 (0·578, −2·948 to 4·104; p=0·748). These two psychological treatments had no superiority effect compared with brief psychosocial intervention at weeks 36 (treatment effect −3·234, 95% CI −6·611 to 0·143; p=0·061), 52 (−2·806, −5·790 to 0·177; p=0·065), or 86 (−1·898, −4·922 to 1·126; p=0·219). Physical adverse events (self-reported breathing problems, sleep disturbances, drowsiness or tiredness, nausea, sweating, and being restless or overactive) did not differ between the groups. Total costs of the trial interventions did not differ significantly between treatment groups.InterpretationWe found no evidence for the superiority of CBT or short-term psychoanalytical therapy compared with a brief psychosocial intervention in maintenance of reduced depression symptoms 12 months after treatment. Short-term psychoanalytical therapy was as effective as CBT and, together with brief psychosocial intervention, offers additional patient choice for psychological therapy, alongside CBT, for adolescents with moderate to severe depression who are attending routine specialist CAMHS clinics.FundingNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme, and the Department of Health.

Effectiveness of Short-Term Dynamic Group Psychotherapy in Primary Care for Patients with Depressive Symptoms.

An open prospective controlled study was designed to compare the efficacy of short‐term dynamic group psychotherapy with the standard treatment in patients with depressive symptoms attended in the primary care setting. A total of 115 patients with depressive symptoms were assigned to receive psychotherapy (75 min) over 9 months (37 to 39 sessions) (n = 70) or the standard care (n = 45). Outcome measures were the differences between baseline and post‐treatment in the 17‐item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM‐A) and the Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐12) questionnaire in the two study groups. At the end of dynamic group psychotherapy, statistically significant improvements in the mean scores of all questionnaires were observed, whereas in control patients, significant improvements were only observed in the HDRS‐17 scale and in the Mental Component Summary score of the SF‐12. The mean changes after treatment were also higher in the psychotherapy group than in controls in all outcome measures, with statistically significant differences in the mean differences in favour of the psychotherapy group. In summary, implementation of short‐term dynamic group psychotherapy run by experienced psychotherapists for patients with depressive symptoms attended in routine primary care centres is feasible and effective. © 2016 The Authors. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Key Practitioner Message Short‐term dynamic group psychotherapy was delivered as a non‐pharmacological intervention to improve depressive symptoms.Statistically significant differences as compared with a control group were observed in 17‐item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM‐A) and the Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐12) questionnaire.Implementation of short‐term dynamic group psychotherapy run by experienced psychotherapists for patients with depressive symptoms attended in routine primary care centres is feasible and effective.

Individual and group psychotherapy with people diagnosed with dementia: a systematic review of the literature.

Psychotherapy provides a means of helping participants to resolve emotional threats and play an active role in their lives. Consequently, psychotherapy is increasingly used within dementia care. This paper reviews the existing evidence base for individual and group psychotherapy with people affected by dementia. The protocol was registered. We searched electronic databases, relevant websites and reference lists for records of psychotherapy with people affected by Alzheimer's Disease, Vascular dementia, Lewy-body dementia or a mixed condition between 1997 and 2015. We included studies of therapies which met British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy definitions (e.g. occurs regularly, focuses on talking about life events and facilitates understand of the illness). Art therapy, Cognitive Stimulation and Rehabilitation, Life Review, Reminiscence Therapy and family therapy were excluded. Studies which included people with frontal-temporal dementia and mild cognitive impairment were excluded. Data was extracted using a bespoke form, and risk of bias assessments were carried out independently by both authors. Meta-analysis was not possible because of the heterogeneity of data. A total of 1397 papers were screened with 26 papers using randomised, non-randomised controlled trials or repeated measured designs being included. A broad mix of therapeutic modalities, types, lengths and settings were described, focussing largely on people with mild levels of cognitive impairment living in the community. This study was limited to only those studies published in English. The strongest evidence supported the use of short-term group therapy after diagnosis and an intensive, multi-faceted intervention for Nursing Home residents. Many areas of psychotherapy need further research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The psychological impact of asbestos, an invisible killer of body and mind

Introduction: Exposure to asbestos causes the onset of various diseases, including lung plaques, asbestosis and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Living in a Contaminated Site can therefore represent for the entire community a real cumulative trauma that brings into the field disease and death due to a kind of "invisible killer": asbestos. In such circumstances, it is necessary to implement multidisciplinary protocols that can offer an integrated approach to care for both patients and their caregivers. Methodology: There is now a large body of scientific evidence in the literature substantiating the importance of the role that clinical psychology can play in oncology. The objective of this work is to describe specifically the situation in Casale Monferrato, the research carried out in the area and to outline the psychological-clinical intervention proposed there to respond to the quality of needs highlighted in patients suffering from asbestos-related diseases, including mainly MPM, and their caregivers. Results: The results of the research carried out in Casale Monferrato highlight what emerges in the international literature, namely that patients with asbestocorrelated diseases frequently manifest anxiety, depression, somatic disorders and a certain tendency to social withdrawal. The psychological-clinical work within the intervention of short-term group psychotherapy offers them a setting in which they can historicize the disease and process the many facets of pain that an inauspicious diagnosis brings to the field: from the one more related to the body, to the more purely psychic. Conclusion: The role of clinical psychology in oncology is of fundamental importance both for the patient and for his family, as it can facilitate the processing of suffering and anger related to the diagnosis of cancer disease or having to take care of a loved one who has been given an inauspicious diagnosis. Psychological intervention also allows to give name and meaning to the fear related to exposure to asbestos: a silent and invisible killer, which otherwise risks remaining unthought of and unthinkable.

Psychotherapy anxiety and phobic disorders

The aim of the study: the development of a comprehensive system of psychotherapy and psychocorrection of anxiety disorders of neurotic case, based on the study of their clinical structure and peculiarities of emotional damages.MethodologiesSpielberger, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), the study of accentuation of personality by K. Leonhard.Scope and contributing researchOne hundred patients with diagnostic categories: F41.0 – Panic disorder (episodic paroxysmal anxiety, F41.1 – Generalized anxiety disorder, F41.2 – mixed anxiety-depressive disorder who are on the examination and treatment at the psychiatric unit. A control group included 40 patients.We performed the exploration of the peculiarities of clinical anxiety and patterns of therapeutic effect, based on the influence of short-term group and individual psychotherapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and evaluation the effectiveness of its recognition.The development of the methodology of applying a short-term group and individual psychotherapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders based on combination relaxation, hypnosis, cognitive-behavioral techniques in combination on with short-term group therapy.In fact, this is a new real model psychotherapy based on integrative principles. The high efficacy was shown in 82% patients, compared with 54% efficacy in control group patients.We will offer a new comprehensive methodology in the treatment of anxiety disorders of neurotic case that will improve the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment process, reduce the time of treatment, reduce the period of drug therapy.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Use of referential language in short-term group psychotherapy for complicated grief.

Use of referential language in short-term group psychotherapy for complicated grief.

Brief Report: An Observational Measure of Empathy for Autism Spectrum: A Preliminary Study of the Development and Reliability of the Client Emotional Processing Scale.

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), can have difficulties in emotion processing, including recognising their own and others' emotions, leading to problems in emotion regulation and interpersonal relating. This study reports the development and piloting of the Client Emotional Processing Scale-Autism Spectrum (CEPS-AS), a new observer measure of four interrelated aspects of emotional processing: emotion recognition, self-reflection, cognitive empathy, and affective empathy. Results showed good interrater reliability (alpha: .69-.91), while inter-dimension associations were high (r=.66-.82). The measure was able to detect significant differences on the four dimensions across a short-term humanistic-experiential group therapy. The CEPS-AS shows promise as a potential addition to current self-report instruments measuring empathy or emotion processes in individuals with ASD.

The impact of psychotherapy treatments of different length and type on health behaviour during a five-year follow-up

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of psychotherapy treatments of different lengths, number of sessions, and type on health behaviour. Method: A total of 367 patients were monitored for their health behaviour (alcohol consumption, body mass index), serum cholesterol (total and HDL), smoking and exercise) for five years from the start of the therapy. The effectiveness of solution-focused therapy, short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, and long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (LPP) was examined in a randomized clinical trial, while the LPP group and the non-randomized psychoanalysis (PA) group were compared in a naturalistic design. Results: During the follow-up, an improvement was seen with regard to alcohol consumption, serum HDL cholesterol, and smoking in the LPP and PA groups. No notable differences in health behaviour between the two groups were found, however. During the last two years of the follow-up, changes towards higher alcohol consumption and higher total serum cholesterol levels were observed in the short-term therapy groups. Conclusions: The impact of PA and LPP on health behaviour did not differ, whereas the changes were less health promoting in short-term psychotherapy. Large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.

The outcome of short- and long-term psychotherapy 10 years after start of treatment.

Empirical evidence on whether patients' mental health and functioning will be more improved after long-term than short-term therapy is scarce. We addressed this question in a clinical trial with a long follow-up. In the Helsinki Psychotherapy Study, 326 out-patients with mood or anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (LPP), short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (SPP) or solution-focused therapy (SFT) and were followed for 10 years. The outcome measures were psychiatric symptoms, work ability, personality and social functioning, need for treatment, and remission. At the end of the follow-up, altogether 74% of the patients were free from clinically elevated psychiatric symptoms. Compared with SPP, LPP showed greater reductions in symptoms, greater improvement in work ability and higher remission rates. A similar difference in symptoms and work ability was observed in comparison with SFT after adjustment for violations of treatment standards. No notable differences in effectiveness between SFT and SPP were observed. The prevalence of auxiliary treatment was relatively high, 47% in SFT, 58% in SPP and 33% in LPP, and, accordingly, the remission rates for general symptoms were 55, 45 and 62%, respectively. After 10 years of follow-up, the benefits of LPP in comparison with the short-term therapies are rather small, though significant in symptoms and work ability, possibly due to more frequent use of auxiliary therapy in the short-term therapy groups. Further studies should focus on the choice of optimal length of therapy and the selection of factors predicting outcome of short- v. long-term therapy.

Changes in personality functioning as a result of group psychotherapy with elements of individual psychotherapy in persons with neurotic and personality disorders - MMPI-2.

The study of group psychotherapy influence on the personality functioning of patients on treatment for neurotic disorders and selected personality disorders (F4-F6 under ICD-10). The study concerned 82 patients (61 women and 21 men) who underwent intensive short-term group psychotherapy in a day ward. A comprehensive assessment of the patients' personality functioning was carried out at the outset and the end of the psychotherapy utilising the MMPI-2 questionnaire. At the treatment outset the majority of the study patients demonstrated a considerable level of disorders in five MMPI-2 clinical scales (Depression, Hysteria, Psychopathic Deviate, Psychastenia, Schizophrenia) and moderate pathology in Hypochondria. In the Mania scale most patients obtained results comparable to the healthy population when the treatment commenced. Having undergone the psychotherapy treatment, the majority of the examined were observed to demonstrate positive changes in those areas of personality functioning which were classified as severe or moderate pathology. Short-term intensive comprehensive group psychotherapy with elements of individual psychotherapy leads to desirable changes in personality functioning.

Presence of personality disorder moderates the long-term effects of short-term and long-term psychodynamic group therapy: A 7-year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial.

Presence of personality disorder moderates the long-term effects of short-term and long-term psychodynamic group therapy: A 7-year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial.

Patterns of Change in Interpersonal Problems During and After Short-term and Long-term Psychodynamic Group Therapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: In this study, we compared the patterns of change in interpersonal problems between short-term and long-term psychodynamic group therapy. Method: A total of 167 outpatients with mixed diagnoses were randomized to 20 or 80 weekly sessions of group therapy. Interpersonal problems were assessed with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems at six time points during the 3-year study period. Using linear mixed models, change was linearly modelled in two steps. Earlier (within the first 6 months) and later (during the last 2.5 years) changes in five subscales were estimated. Results and conclusion: Contrary to what we expected, short-term therapy induced a significantly larger early change than long-term therapy on the cold subscale and there was a trend on the socially avoidant subscale, using a Bonferroni-adjusted alpha. There was no significant difference between short-term and long-term group therapy for improving problems in the areas cold, socially avoidant, nonassertive, exploitable, and overly nurturant over the 3 years.

The cost-effectiveness of short-term and long-term psychotherapy in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders during a 5-year follow-up

Both short-term and long-term psychotherapies are used extensively in treating different mental disorders, but there have been practically no attempts to compare their cost-effectiveness. The aim of this study, which is part of the Helsinki Psychotherapy Study, is to assess the cost-effectiveness of two short-term therapies compared to that of a long-term therapy. In this study 326 outpatients suffering from mood or anxiety disorder were randomized to solution-focused therapy (SFT), short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (SPP) or to long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (LPP). Psychiatric symptoms and working ability were assessed at baseline and then 4–9 times during a 5-year follow-up using eight widely used measures including e.g. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Symptom Check List, anxiety scale (SCL-90-Anx), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), Symptom Check List, Global Severity Index (SCL-90-GSI), and the Work-subscale (SAS-Work) of the Social Adjustment Scale (SAS-SR). Both direct and indirect costs were measured. During the 5-year follow-up period statistically significant improvements were observed in all health indicators in all therapy groups. At first the recovery was faster in the short-term therapy groups than in the LPP group, but taking the whole follow-up period into account, the effectiveness of the LPP was somewhat greater than that of the short-term therapies. Especially the direct costs were, however, much higher in the LPP group than in the short-term therapy groups. Thus the long-term therapy can hardly be regarded as cost-effective compared to short-term therapies when patients are randomized to the therapy groups.

Group Psychotherapy in Denmark

This is a short article on the history and training standards in the Institute of Group Analysis in Copenhagen (IGA–CPH). We describe theoretical orientations and influences in the long-term training program and new initiatives, like courses in mentalization-based group treatment and a dynamic short-term group therapy course, as well as research in group psychotherapy in Denmark. Some group analytic initiatives in relation to social issues and social welfare are presented, as well as initiatives concerning the school system and unemployment.

Randomized trial on the effectiveness of long- and short-term psychotherapy on psychosocial functioning and quality of life during a 5-year follow-up

Knowledge is incomplete on whether long-term psychotherapy is more effective than short-term therapy in treating mood and anxiety disorder, when measured by improvements in psychosocial functioning and life quality. In the Helsinki Psychotherapy Study, 326 outpatients with mood or anxiety disorder were randomized to solution-focused therapy (SFT), short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (SPP), or long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (LPP), and followed up for 5 years from the start of treatment. The outcome measures comprised 4 questionnaires on psychosocial functioning, assessing global social functioning (Social Adjustment Scale (SAS-SR), sense of coherence (Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC)), perceived competence (Self-Performance Survey), dispositional optimism (Life Orientation Test (LOT)), and 1 questionnaire assessing quality of life (Life Situation Survey (LSS)). Short-term therapies improved psychosocial functioning and quality of life more than LPP during the first year. The only exceptions were LOT and perceived competence, which did not differ between SPP and LPP. Later in the follow-up, SOC and perceived competence showed significantly more improvement in LPP than in the short-term therapy groups. No direct differences between SFT and SPP were noted. Short-term therapy has consistently more short-term effects on psychosocial functioning and quality of life than LPP, whereas LPP has some additional long-term benefits on psychosocial functioning.

Intra-individual variability in tinnitus patients : current thoughts and perspectives.

Most tinnitus studies have attempted to compare groups of individuals, thus revealing inter-individuals differences, i.e., variations between compared subjects. For methodological reasons, inter-individual studies cannot take into account the variability of tinnitus experience, which has been known for decades to be relevant in daily practice with tinnitus patients. The concept of intra-individual variability has been promoted in the research literature, in order to shed light on this aspect of individual perception. In previous studies, unrelated to hearing, the concept of intra-individual variability implied inclusion of the environment (i.e., physical and social interactions) as a factor of individual performance. In tinnitus research, we believe that the concept of variability (within a person) could find a place beside the concept of variation (between groups of subjects). In this paper, four perspectives of tinnitus experiences from the clinical and research fields are described: (1) ENT consultation; (2) short-term group psychotherapy; (3) psychodynamic psychotherapy; and (4) clinical psychological research. Intra-individual variability stresses the importance of defining tinnitus in a dynamic way, contrary to the current definition of tinnitus as the perception of sound(s). In clinical practice, it is useful to embrace the perspective of the perceiver of tinnitus, and to include social and cultural circumstances as well as audiological/physical changes.

Skuteczność intensywnej psychoterapii grupowej stosowanej w leczeniu zaburzeń nerwicowych i osobowości.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of intensive (150 - 210 sessions), short-term (10 - 14 weeks) group psychotherapy in the treatment of neurotic disorders, and selected personality disorders. The study involved 145 patients treated in day hospital due to neurotic disorders and selected personality disorders. The measurements were performed twice - at the beginning and at the end of hospitalization. The effectiveness of psychotherapy in the reduction of symptoms of neurotic disorders was measured with symptom checklist "0". The change in the severity of personality traits characteristic for neurotic disorders was examined using Neurotic Personality Questionnaire KON-2006. A significant reduction in symptoms of neurotic disorders was found in 84% of patients (85,7% women and 80,8% men). 70,3% of the examined patients obtained in the measurement at the end of treatment results indicating the level of severity of neurotic disorders symptoms below the cutoff point separating population of healthy individuals from patients. A significant reduction in the severity of personality traits characteristically occurring in patients suffering from neurotic disorders was found in 76% of patients (74.5% women and 78.7% men). 42.8% of the examined patients obtained in the measurement at the end of the treatment the value of neurotic personality traits index (X-KON) typical for healthy population. Intensive, short-term group psychotherapy with elements of individual therapy is an effective treatment for neurotic disorders. The majority of treated persons obtains a significant symptomatic improvement and a reduction in the severity of neurotic personality traits.