[Personality disorders after inpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy]

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.

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.

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.

The above results demonstrate that patients with personality disorders benefit from inpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy.