[Long-term and short-term therapies in psychiatry]

The length of psychiatric therapies is often underlined. It is impossible to decide on which form of therapy is indicated--long-term- or short-term therapy--by the consideration of nosography alone. The quality of the relationship between the patient and the therapist is the best factor which determines the choice of the most appropriated therapy; because of the subjectivity of such a criteria, one must take into account ethical perspectives.