[Long-term outcome of disorder-specific group therapy for multisomatoform disorders: a 3-year follow-up study]. / Langzeitverlauf nach störungsorientierten Kurzgruppeninterventionen bei somatoformen Störungen mit multiplen Körperbeschwerden: Eine 3-Jahres-Katamnese

Little is known about the long-term effectiveness of disorder-specific group interventions for somatoform disorders. In total 128 patients with somatoform disorders who had participated in 2 different 8-week outpatient group programs (cognitive-behavioral therapy or progressive muscle relaxation) were questioned at baseline and at the end of treatment. On average, there was a follow-up after 6 months and after 3 -years (3-year follow-up response rate: 63.3%). Both interventions were combined for long-term analysis as there were no substantial differences. In 2.5% of cases a possible medical cause was found for complaints originally considered as somatoform. A short disorder-specific group intervention achieved small effect sizes (range: 0.14-0.40; ITT-sample range: 0.06-0.33) in the long term; about 30% of patients can be considered responders. Further efforts are needed to improve the treatment of patients with somatoform disorders.

[Readiness for behavioural change in somatoform disorders]. / Stadien der Bewältigung bei Patienten mit somatoformen Symptomen.

The readiness for behavioural change in patients with somatoform symptoms constitutes an important construct in psychotherapy research. However, no psychometric instrument is available yet for assessing this construct. This study, therefore, attempts to adapt a questionnaire for the assessment of the "readiness for behavioural change" in patients with chronic pain (FQ-STAPM) to patients with somatoform symptoms. Various psychometric test criteria of the questionnaire are examined. The sample consists of n=103 in- and outpatients with multiple somatoform symptoms. Item characteristics, reliability (internal consistency), and construct validity for three of the four adapted scales are acceptable. Furthermore, the four-factor-structure of the FQ-STAPM can be confirmed. Moderate changes on the adapted scales of the FQ-STAPM are detected in a longitudinal design. The results corroborate the applicability of the instrument in patients with somatoform symptoms.