Outpatient Psychoanalytic Individual and Group Psychotherapy in a Nationwide Catamnestic Study in Germany

Abstract

Unlike many (clinical) outcome projects, this study was designed to measure and evaluate the effects of individual and group-analytical psychotherapy performed in its most prevalent setting: outpatient treatment in the therapist's office. Drawing on a 20 percent sample of all members of the two main associations of psychoanalytical psychotherapists in Germany a one-page questionnaire was sent through their therapists to almost 1,000 former patients. The anonymous return rate was 65 percent. Subjects were asked for self-assessment of their physical, mental, social and overall health status at three points in time: at the beginning and end of their therapy and at the time of assessment (up to five years after completing therapy). Furthermore they were to report on their use of other health care services (visits to physicians, hospital stays, prescription drug consumption) and on their work-loss days. The responses show that the self-assessed health status of patients had improved significantly by the end of the therapy, and this effect had increased even more in the 2'4 years since completing therapy. The number of days in hospital declined on an average of two-thirds, visits to physicians by one-third and work-loss days by one-half Thus a substantial part of the cost of the therapy was saved in other parts of the health system. With the exception of a better cost-benefit relationship for group psychotherapy no significant differences were found in the salutary effects between group and individual forms of therapy.