[Regression in inpatient-analytic psychotherapy. Reflections on indications and treatment strategy from the viewpoint of applied ego psychology].

This paper points out the differences in the dynamic processes of the regression between patients with neurotic ego-structures and those with disturbances of the ego-development during the psychoanalytic inpatient therapy. The main consequence is, that the indication for inpatient therapy is depending on the sufficient ego-strength, but not on the stage of the ego-development, and that the tactic of the treatment, its clinical organization and the structure of communication in the hospital should be adapted to the ego-structure. General criteria are that the inpatient treatment of neurotic patients should be limited to three of four months at most to avoid artificial splitting mechanisms, and that the treatment of ego-disturbed patients should be organized as an integrative one and managed by a special kind of team-cooperation in order to further the integrating and differenciating ego functions.