[The effectiveness of autogenic training in the psycho-corrective treatment of the patients presenting with chronic somatic diseases].

BACKGROUND

The autogenic training (AT) is one of the most widely used methods for psychotherapy of patients suffering from chronic somatic diseases (CSD). A number of studies have demonstrated the improvement of the psychological status in the patients under the influence of autogenic training. However, up to the present time, both the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effectiveness and the predictors of the AT effectiveness have remained to be poorly studied which hampers the development of differentiated indications for the application of this technique.

AIM

The objective of the present study was to estimate the effectiveness of AT and to identify the predictors of the outcomes of the treatment of patients presenting with chronic somatic diseases.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 325 patients with CSD who were examined with the use of the shortened multifactorial personality inventory (SMPI), the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Beck depression inventory (BDI) scales. The patients were randomized into two groups. Group 1 (main) was comprised of 163 patients who underwent AT-based psychotherapy, group 2 (control) consisted of 162 patients who did not receive the psychotherapy. In order to identify the predictors of AT effectiveness, the patients of the main group were subdivided into two subgroups at the end of the study period: (a) including 128 patients whose psychologic status was normalized under psychotherapy and (b) containing 35 patients showing the improvement of their health status. The comparative analysis of the baseline characteristics of the patients belonging to each group was performed.

RESULTS

The study has demonstrated that by the end of the observation period the patients of the main group showed a significantly more pronounced (compared with controls) decrease of scales 1, 2, and 7 indicators, an increase of the SMPI scale 9 indicators, and a decrease of STAI and BDI indicators. The positive impact of autogenic training on the psychological status of the patients was mostly attributable to the reduction of anxiety, tension, fixation on negative sensations, and sensitivity to the stress factors as well as to the increased activity and the improved mood. The study of AT predictors revealed that the increase of scales 4 and 6 of SMPI and BDI indicators fairly well predicts the lack of the effectiveness of the method under consideration.

CONCLUSIONS

The beneficial influence of the autogenic training on the psychological status of the patients presenting with chronic somatic diseases is mainly mediated through the decrease of anxiety, tension, fixation on negative feelings, sensitivity to stressful influences, increased activity, and improved mood of the patients. A study of AT effectiveness predictors revealed that an increased level of rigidity reduces the effectiveness of this method because of the tendency of the patients toward making excessive efforts to achieve the state of relaxation. The predictors of the high effectiveness of AT the development of which requires regular training proved to be a moderate decrease of the psychological adaptation level together with such characteristics as the ability of the patients to control their behavior, purposefulness, and perseverance in achieving the goal.