title: [Balint group work in Germany - results from a survey of Balint group leaders].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Based on a postal survey of Balint group leaders from the year 2004, this study analyses the characteristics of Balint group work as described by Michael Balint (1896-1970)in modern Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was sent to 503 German Balint group leaders, 333 (66.2 %) of whom returned the questionnaire (40.5 % women, mean age 57.2 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most Balint group leaders are specialists in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy (30.6 %), psychiatry and psychotherapy (17.1 %) or are general practitioners (12.3 %). Psychoanalysts rarely serve as Balint group leaders. Sessions are normally held every 2 weeks (26.7 %) or once a month (26.4 %). Despite the original intention of Michael Balint, the idea of holding weekly Balint groups is now seldom(3.9 %). 85 %of the Balint group leaders prefer sessions lasting 90 minutes. An average of 8.6 participants attend, with 2.1 persons missing. There is a great heterogeneity in the professions of Balint group leaders. 17.4 % of them are older 65 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that Balint group work in Germany is well integrated in both general practice and psychotherapy, and it is still of great interest to many specialists of other disciplines as well as a good way to realize further education. The ideas of Michael Balint are very much alive, but - because of the changed realities in the medical field - no longer as he originally foresaw, but in settings adapted to the new situations in medicine.
authors.affiliation: Deutsche Klinik für Integrative Medizin und Naturheilverfahren, Bad Elster. s.haefner@dekimed.de
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Häfner
authors.forename: Heide
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Otten
authors.forename: Ernst Richard
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Petzold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*