[Analyzing the effectiveness of inpatient psychosomatic rehabilitation using the mini-ICF-APP]

Medical rehabilitation aims at improving disorders of functions, capacity and participation. The present study investigates the degree to which inpatient psychosomatic rehabilitation improves disorders of capacity.

213 inpatients (149 females, 64 males) from a psychosomatic rehabilitation unit were investigated at the beginning and end of a six-week treatment using the Mini-ICF-Rating for Psychological Disorders (Mini-ICF-APP), an observer-rating instrument for the assessment of disorders of capacity, especially in regard to social functioning.

There were significant improvements in all dimensions of disorders of capacity. Patients who were discharged as able to work benefited most from the rehabilitation treatment, whereas patients who were on sick leave at discharge showed only moderate improvement. Those who were able to work at admission but discharged as sick leave had the highest values in disorders of capacity in both measurements. Patients suffering from complex mental illnesses did show only moderate improvement. The greatest changes were seen with respect to "planning and structuring of tasks", "competency" and "non-work activities" while assertiveness did show the smallest changes.

The data show that psychosomatic inpatient rehabilitation produces positive effects on disorders of capacity.