[Time-limited contacts with psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic ambulatory care. I. Retrospective evaluation by patients].
Despite of the relevance of psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic outpatient services there is a lack of empirical studies concerning their effectiveness and compliance from the patients' point of view. This study describes the retrospective judgements of a maximum of three outpatient consultations, given by 125 patients after a mean follow-up period of 14 months. These patients completed a comprehensive questionnaire, comparable with instruments used in follow-up studies of longterm psychotherapies. The questionnaire covered demographic data, a detailed description of the consultations (including the atmosphere of the contact and the therapeutic alliance), their consequences as well as the present life situation and -quality. The results first indicate that patients who refused their participation in the study received more unspecific recommendations by the therapist, and were more commonly referred by other clinics. The judgements of the consultations were predominantly negative. Patients criticized for example a lack of activity by the therapist and of practical advice. The overall rate of compliance (i.e. number of patients who followed the therapist's recommendations) was 49%. Compliance was higher with respect to individual therapy and lowest with respect to inpatient psychotherapy. As far as the present life situation was concerned, the patients answers indicate a slight decrease of their complaints as well as an increase of life quality as compared to the time of the consultation. Potential reasons for the negative view of time limited contacts with a psychosomatic outpatient unit are finally discussed.
Strauss
B
B
Abteilung Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Zentrum Nervenheilkunde Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel.
Speidel
H
H
Seifert
A
A
Probst
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000523:psychology*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D012189:Retrospective Studies