title: Follow-up results from a psychosomatic outpatient clinic.
abstract: On the background of the German situation of psychosomatic medicine as an independent department beside the psychiatric clinic, we describe the theoretical issues, organizational structure and functioning of a psychosomatic outpatient clinic. 186 consecutive referrals were analyzed. The ratio of man to woman was 1:2, mean age was 32 years (range 17-58). About half of the patients suffered from psychogenic disorders (according DSM-III criteria subsumed to the category of 'psychological factors affecting physical condition'), 21% had anxiety disturbances, and of the remaining patients 15% had affective illnesses and 13% somatoform disorders. There were three treatment conditions: inpatient psychotherapy, outpatient individual or group psychotherapy and family therapy. Follow-up results (2 years after the first contact) give some hints on the effectiveness of the different treatment procedures. The results show that the psychosomatic outpatient clinic may offer treatment for a specific patient population whose characteristics differ significantly from those of patients treated in consultation liaison services as well as by practicing psychotherapists.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods