Short report
Evaluating of therapeutic evolution and procedures by patients in clinical group-psychotherapy settings
H. van Coppenolle, R. Pierloot, J. Wambeke
A judgment regarding the direction (improvement or worsening) and the nature (somatic, psychological) of their evolution has been asked to 58 patients staying since at least three months in one of three different clinical group-psychotherapy settings: a day centre for neurotic patients, with verbal and non verbal group activities; an analytical group-psychotherapy ward for neurotic patients; and an orthopedagogical oriented group-psychotherapy ward for neurotic and borderline patients. Moreover they had to indicate three activities, having contributed mostly to their evolution.
The large majority of these patients regarded themselves as improved in the psychological sphere, with a preponderance of general psychological functioning (problem-solving, contacts with others, reality-testing) to symptomimprovement.
The differentiation of different activities, having contributed to their change, was not significant for the patients of the day centre. In the other two wards a clear tendency existed to accentuate the value of structured therapy forms (verbal and non verbal) while general framework activities (meetings, cooking etc) were minimized. In the analytical group-psychotherapy ward verbal contacts were scored higher; in the orthopedagogical setting non verbal therapies (e.g. movement therapy) obtained higher values.
The large correspondente of these findings to the preconceived goal elaboration in these types of psychiatric therapy is striking. Thereby the question arises in how far the responses of the patients are influenced by prevailing opinions in the ward milieu.