ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The following paper presents the results of a post-treatment examination on inpatients with personality disorders who received psychodynamic psychotherapy. The examination was carried out approximately 3.3 years after the patients were discharged. METHODS: Of a group of 110 patients with personality disorders (ICD-10), 72 patients underwent follow-up examination. A comprehensive catamnesis was compiled for 59 former patients; 13 former patients answered by post. Treatment success was evaluated on the basis of the Symptom Checklist 90-R, Inventory of Interpersonal Problems and Questionnaire of Social Support. These surveys show no significant statistical difference between the data of the subgroups of participants and non-participants of the post-treatment examination at the start and end of therapy (Mann-Whitney-U-Test, p > 0.05). Treatment success was also examined using the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, the Impairment-Score as well as an analysis of the patient's use of psychiatric and inpatient psychotherapeutic care and the medication received. RESULTS: Due to the reduction in general mental stress and interpersonal problems, and the increase in perceived social support, the patients showed a positive development. After being discharged 41% of the patients received outpatient psychotherapy without further psychiatric and inpatient psychotherapeutic care. CONCLUSIONS: The above results demonstrate that patients with personality disorders benefit from inpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy.
