[Activities of Balint groups--a way to survive]

For the past twenty years there has been growing interest in 'Balint groups' in Sweden, and today about 40 such groups are active in the country. Originally Balint groups took the form of seminars with special emphasis on the doctor-patient relationship, run for GPs as part of a research project by the late Michael Balint, a psychoanalyst at the Tavistock Clinic in London. Similar groups have since been started in a number of countries, and obviously fulfil an important need. The system is applicable both as a component in medical education and as an adjunct to the practising clinician's schedule; and, suitably adapted, it has recently been taken up by other patient or client oriented professionals. In the presentation are reviewed practical aspects of this kind of continuous group activity among clinical staff, the time frame envisaged being two hours twice a month for one to two years. The review is followed by a report with comments by a group leader and group members on their experience in a currently active Balint group.