[Outcome and catamnesis of psychosomatic hospital treatment of 60+-year-old inpatients].

OBJECTIVES

The catamnesis study examined the effectiveness of inpatient psychotherapy of patients 60+ years of age 1 to 2 years after the treatment. The patients had been treated in the years 2007 and 2008.

METHOD

Systematic pre and post inpatient treatment data were available for all patients, collected according to Psy-BaDo. For the purpose of the catamnesis the patients received the complaint questionnaire SCL-90-R as self-evaluation questionnaire, based on a shortened form of the BSI. In addition, we also used a special catamnesis questionnaire developed by the inpatient Group Therapy Research Unit staff and revised at the Rhein-Klinik (Wuchner u. Hess 2005).

RESULTS

According to their self-assessments, most patients reported of having gained a "good" to "very good" benefit from the treatment. The effectiveness of the inpatient treatment was high both at the end of the treatment and at the time of the catamnesis (discharge d = 0.86; catamnesis d = 0.84).Nearly 70 % of the patients were also later treated by outpatient psychotherapy, 51 % were prescribed psychopharmacologic drugs and 33 % other forms of medicine.

DISCUSSION

The therapeutic framework for the treatment of older patients corresponded to the rules for psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy. There is no need for any other fundamentally different concepts. After the follow-up outpatient treatments, older patients and the therapists expressed an increased acceptance of psychotherapy. The effectiveness of treatment in older patients may result from their good resources. The results of the catamnesis show encouraging findings for the psychosomatic treatment of older patients, also in the long term from 1,5 to 2 years.