[Study of the motivations for balneotherapy. Considerations on the needs of thermal baths users]

After a brief reminder of the dual therapeutic aspect (biological and psychological) of spa treatment, the results are presented of a series of psychological reaction tests (McFarland's Psychosomatic Inventory, the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire, the Rorschach test) given to a randomized sample of 106 patients together with semistructured interviews conducted by two different psychiatrists. The results show substantial agreement between the motivations volunteered verbally and those revealed by the tests and may be summed up as affective rigidity, impoverished emotional life and difficulty in handling body-related anxieties. It is therefore suggested that it would be useful to create a psychosocial spa centre able to provide global treatment adapted to the specific needs of individual users.