Psychoanalytic inpatient psychotherapy of depression - Two naturalistic samples throughout the course of a decade

• Published in: European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling 2017-10, Vol.19 (4), p.396-414
• Main Authors: Fizke, Ella, Mueller, Axel, Huber, Dorothea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: depresión; Depression; Depressione; disturbo della personalità; estudio de intervención naturalística; Etude d'une intervention Naturaliste; GAF: Global assessment of functioning; IIP: Inventory of Interpersonal Problems; inpatient psychotherapy; interne Patientpsychotherapie; level of structural integration of self; livello di integrazione strutturale del sé; Medical diagnosis; Mental depression; Natur Niveu von struktureller Integration des Selbst; naturalistic intervention study; Niveau d'Intégration Structurale du Self; nivel de integración estructural del self; OPD-LSIA: OPD-level of structural integration axis; OPD: Operationalized psychodynamic diagnostics; PD: personality disorder; personality disorder; Persönlichkeitsstörung; PIP: Psychodynamically oriented inpatient psychotherapy; psicoterapia con pacientes hospitalizados; psicoterapia ospedaliera; psicoterapia psicoanalitica; psicoterapia psicoanalítica; Psychoanalysis; psychoanalytic psychotherapy; Psychoanalytische psychotherapie; Psychotherapy; Psychothérapie en hospitalisation; Psychothérapie psychanalytique; SCL-D: SCL Depression Scale; SCL: German version of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised; studio di intervento naturalistico; trastornos de personalidad; trouble de la Personnalité; Διαταραχή Προσωπικότητας; Ενδονοσοκομειακή Ψυχοθεραπεία; Επίπεδο της Δομικής Ενσωμάτωσης του Εαυτού; Κατάθλιψη; Ψυχαναλυτική Ψυχοθεραπεία
• ISSN: 1364-2537; 1469-5901
• DOI: 10.1080/13642537.2017.1386224

Background: While the general effectiveness of psychodynamic inpatient psychotherapy has been established, very few studies have specifically investigated the effectiveness of psychodynamic inpatient treatment of depression, though depressed patients represent the largest group of inpatients. Method : This study investigated two naturalistic samples of depressed patients regarding treatment outcome as well as clinical and treatment characteristics. Patients were treated in a psychoanalytical psychosomatic hospital unit. Data was collected from 2000 to 2002 (N=234) and from 2008 to 2010 (N=514). Data was acquired at admission and discharge. Results: The findings reveal high pre-post effect sizes for symptom reduction (SCL-90-R), general functioning (GAF) and medium changes of interpersonal problems (IIP). The improvement on the IIP was significantly higher for patients with comorbid personality disorder. Based on therapist ratings, the sample treated from 2008-2010 showed higher levels of impairment on several levels: chronic, complex, functional (GAF) and structural (OPD). Conclusion: Findings indicate that patients show substantial short-term benefit following psychoanalytic inpatient psychotherapy, as practiced under naturalistic conditions. Open questions remain regarding the long-term nature of these benefits and the possible influence of placebo-effects.