Illness perception in functional neurological disorder: low illness coherence and personal control.

Introduction: Illness perception refers to patients' subjective representations and appraisals of somatic and mental symptoms. These are relevant for self-management and outcome. In clinical practice, patients with functional neurological disorder (FND) often encounter a fragmented biomedical attitude, which leaves them without clear concepts. In this context, illness perception is relevant. Methods: Illness perception was assessed in FND patients and compared with samples of psychosomatic patients (PSM) as well as poststroke patients (STR). The three samples (FND, n=87; PSM, n=97 and STR, n=92) were almost all in inpatient treatment or rehabilitation. Illness perception was assessed with the revised German version of the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R). For assessments of correlations, depressive symptoms were tested with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, dissociative and functional neurological symptoms by the German adaption of the Dissociative Experiences Scale and biopsychosocial complexity by the INTERMED Self-Assessment questionnaire. Results: Apart from the chronicity subscale, all dimensions of the IPQ-R differed between groups. FND patients perceived lower illness coherence and personal control than both other groups and attributed their illness more to chance than to behavioural risk factors. PSM patients had the strongest emotional representations. There were only few correlations with dissociative scores and biopsychosocial complexity. Conclusion: Illness perception is an important issue in patients with FND with particular emphasis on low illness coherence and personal control. Missing associations with biopsychosocial complexity suggest that subjective illness perception is an important complementary but separate issue, which likely influences therapeutic alliance and self-management in FND. Future studies should assess its influences on outcome. Trial registration number: DRKS00024685; German Clinical Trials Register; www.drks.de.

Mentalizing in psychotherapeutic processes of patients with eating disorders.

Background: Improvement in the capacity to mentalize (i.e., reflective functioning/RF) is considered both, an outcome variable as well as a possible change mechanism in psychotherapy. We explored variables related to (in-session) RF in patients with an eating disorder (ED) treated in a pilot study on a Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) - oriented day hospital program. The research questions were secondary and focused on the psychotherapeutic process: What average RF does the group of patients show in sessions and does it change over the course of a single session? Are differences found between sections in which ED symptomatology is discussed and those in which it is not? Does RF increase after MBT-type interventions? Methods: 1232 interaction segments from 77 therapy sessions of 19 patients with EDs were rated for RF by reliable raters using the In-Session RF Scale. Additionally, content (ED symptomatology yes/no) and certain MBT interventions were coded. Statistical analysis was performed by mixed models. Results: Patients showed a rather low RF, which increased on average over the course of a session. If ED symptomatology was discussed, this was associated with significantly lower RF, while MBT-type interventions led to a significant increase in RF. Conclusions: Results suggest that in-session mentalizing can be stimulated by MBT-typical interventions. RF seems to be more impaired when disorder-specific issues are addressed. Further studies have to show if improving a patient´s ability to mentalize their own symptoms is related to better outcomes.

The multicenter effectiveness study of inpatient and day hospital treatment in departments of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy in Germany.

Background: Reliable outcome data of psychosomatic inpatient and day hospital treatment with a focus on psychotherapy are important to strengthen ecological validity by assessing the reality of mental health care in the field. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of inpatient and day hospital treatment in German university departments of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in a prospective, naturalistic, multicenter design including structured assessments. Methods: Structured interviews were used to diagnose mental disorders according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV at baseline. Depression, anxiety, somatization, eating disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as well as personality functioning were assessed by means of questionnaires on admission and at discharge. Results: 2,094 patients recruited by 19 participating university hospitals consented to participation in the study. Effect sizes for each of the outcome criteria were calculated for 4-5 sub-groups per outcome domain with differing severity at baseline. Pre-post effect sizes for patients with moderate and high symptom severity at baseline ranged from d = 0.78 to d = 3.61 with symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety showing the largest and somatization as well as personality functioning showing somewhat smaller effects. Conclusions: Inpatient and day hospital treatment in German university departments of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy is effective under field conditions. Clinical trial registration: https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00016412, identifier: DRKS00016412.

Biopsychosocial complexity in functional neurological disorder.

BACKGROUND: Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is considered a biopsychosocial disorder nowadays, with chronicity in >50% of cases. The INTERMED Self-Assessment Questionnaire (IMSA) assesses the various domains and indicates biopsychosocial complexity. OBJECTIVE: FND patients were compared with a sample of psychosomatic (PSM) patients as well as post-stroke patients. METHODS: The three samples (N = 287 altogether) were largely in inpatient and day clinic psychotherapeutic treatment or inpatient neurological rehabilitation. The IMSA covers all three biopsychosocial domains as well as health care utilisation in the time frame of the past, the present and the future. In addition, affective burden (GAD-7, PHQ-9), somatoform symptoms (PHQ-15), dissociation (FDS) and quality of life (SF-12) were evaluated. RESULTS: FND and PSM patients scored highly in the IMSA, with ≥70% regarded as complex, compared to 15% of post-stroke patients. Affective, somatoform and dissociation scores were high in FND and PSM patients. Mental and somatic quality of life were lower in these groups compared to post-stroke patients. DISCUSSION: FND patients showed high biopsychosocial strain, similar to a typical sample of inpatient and day clinic, i.e. severely affected, PSM patients, and they were more affected than post-stroke patients. These data emphasize that FND should be evaluated with a biopsychosocial perspective. The IMSA likely represents a valuable tool, which has to be assessed by further longitudinal studies.

Typical disease courses of patients with unipolar depressive disorder after in-patient treatments-results of a cluster analysis of the INDDEP project.

Introduction: Previously established categories for the classification of disease courses of unipolar depressive disorder (relapse, remission, recovery, recurrence) are helpful, but insufficient in describing the naturalistic disease courses over time. The intention of the present study was to identify frequent disease courses of depression by means of a cluster analysis. Methods: For the longitudinal cluster analysis, 555 datasets of patients who participated in the INDDEP (INpatient and Day clinic treatment of DEPression) study, were used. The present study uses data of patients with at least moderate depressive symptoms (major depression) over a follow-up period of 1 year after their in-patient or day-care treatments using the LIFE (Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation)-interview. Eight German psychosomatic hospitals participated in this naturalistic observational study. Results: Considering only the Calinski-Harabatz index, a 2-cluster solution gives the best statistical results. In combination with other indices and clinical interpretations, the 5-cluster solution seems to be the most interesting. The cluster sizes are large enough and numerically balanced. The KML-cluster analyses revealed five well interpretable disease course clusters over the follow-up period: "sustained treatment response" (N = 202, 36.4% of the patients), "recurrence" (N = 80, 14.4%), "persisting relapse" (N = 115, 20.7%), "temporary relapse" (N = 95, 17.1%), and remission (N = 63, 11.4%). Conclusion: The disease courses of many patients diagnosed with a unipolar depression do not match with the historically developed categories such as relapse, remission, and recovery. Given this context, the introduction of disease course trajectories seems helpful. These findings may promote the implementation of new therapy options, adapted to the disease courses.

What Kind of Patients Receive Inpatient and Day-Hospital Treatment in Departments of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in Germany?

INTRODUCTION: Germany is one of the few countries with a medical specialty of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy and many treatment resources of this kind. OBJECTIVE: This observational study describes the psychosomatic treatment programs as well as a large sample of day-hospital and inpatients in great detail using structured diagnostic interviews. METHODS: Mental disorders were diagnosed according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV by means of Mini-DIPS and SCID-II. In addition to the case records, a modified version of the CSSRI was employed to collect demographic data and service use. The PHQ-D was used to assess depression, anxiety, and somatization. RESULTS: 2,094 patients from 19 departments participated in the study after giving informed consent. The sample consisted of a high proportion of "complex patients" with high comorbidity of mental and somatic diseases, severe psychopathology, and considerable social and occupational dysfunction including more than 50 days of sick leave per year in half of the sample. The most frequent diagnoses were depression, somatoform and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, and somato-psychic conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Inpatient and day-hospital treatment in German university departments of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy is an intensive multimodal treatment for complex patients with high comorbidity and social as well as occupational dysfunction.

Mentalization-enhancing therapeutic interventions in the psychotherapy of anorexia nervosa: An analysis of use and influence on patients' mentalizing capacity.

OBJECTIVE: Improvement in patients' mentalizing capacities is considered a possible mechanism of change in psychotherapy. This improvement might take place via mentalization-enhancing interventions (MEIs) performed by psychotherapists. The study aimed to explore the use of MEIs in two evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments for patients with anorexia nervosa (enhanced cognitive-behavior therapy, focal psychodynamic therapy) and their association with the patients' capacity to mentalize in sessions ("in-session reflective functioning" / in-session RF). Additionally, it was explored, if the amount of MEIs used could either predict change in in-session RF or outcome (end of treatment, one year follow-up). METHOD: 84 audiotapes from psychotherapy sessions of 28 patients of the ANTOP-study (three sessions per patient) were transcribed and rated with both the MEI Rating Scale and the In-Session RF Scale by trained raters. RESULTS: MEIs were applied in both treatments. A moderate correlation between the amount of MEIs and patients' in-session RF as well as its change over the course of treatment was found, but no relation to change in BMI or eating disorder symptoms. CONCLUSION: A greater use of MEIs was related to patients' in-session-mentalizing. However, there seems to be no simple relation between RF as shown in sessions and symptom change.

Perceived professional development of Chinese psychotherapy trainees: a pilot study.

For more than 30 years counselling and psychotherapy services in China have progressed rapidly. Currently, various Chinese universities, hospitals, official mental health centres, and private mental health service organizations provide psychotherapy training programs. However, little is known about Chinese psychotherapy trainees and their development. This pilot study investigated the characteristics and perceived professional development of 20 Chinese trainees during and after an advanced training program for psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, which is a collaboration project between Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy from the University Medical Center Freiburg in Germany. Trainees completed questionnaires from the SPRISTAD (Society for Psychotherapy Research Interest Section on Therapist Training and Development) study at the beginning (T1), at the end (T2), and one year after finishing the program (T3). Seventeen of the twenty participants were clinicians. Trainees reported a prominent rise of Currently Experienced Growth throughout the training period, which nearly dropped to the baseline level after the training, although Retrospective Career Development showed a trend of an overall increase. Both 'experience in therapy with patients' and 'participation in courses or seminars' were the most important positively perceived sources of influence on trainees' development. This implies the importance of continuous psychotherapy training for the development of therapists during their career. Future research with a larger sample size should also assess trainees' development from the viewpoint of trainers, supervisors, and patients.

In-Session-Reflective-Functioning in Anorexia Nervosa: An Analysis of Psychotherapeutic Sessions of the ANTOP Study.

Objective: Previous research suggests that patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) show an impaired capacity to mentalize (reflective functioning, RF). RF is discussed as a possible predictor of outcome in psychotherapeutic processes. The study aimed to explore RF in sessions of patients with AN and its association with outcome and type of treatment. Methods: A post-hoc data analysis of selected cases from a randomized trial on outpatient psychotherapy for AN was conducted. Transcripts from 84 sessions of 28 patients (early phase, middle phase, and end of treatment) were assessed using the In-Session-Reflective-Functioning-Scale [14 cognitive-behavior therapy, enhanced (CBT-E); 14 focal psychodynamic therapy (FPT); 16 with good, 12 with poor outcome after 1 year]. Relations between the level of RF, type of treatment, and outcome were investigated using mixed linear models. Additionally, associations with depressive symptoms, weight gain, and therapeutic alliance were explored. Results: Mean in-session RF was low. It was higher in FPT when compared to CBT-E treatments. The findings point to an association between RF increase and a positive outcome. An increase in BMI in the first half of treatment was associated with higher subsequent in-session RF. There was no association between RF and depressive symptoms or the therapeutic alliance. Discussion: Patients with AN show a low capacity to mentalize in sessions, which seems to be at least partly dependent on the degree of starvation. The results suggest a possible relationship between an increase in in-session RF and outcome, which has to be replicated by further studies.

Psychotherapist Trainees' Quality of Life: Patterns and Correlates.

While psychotherapists are trained to improve their clients' quality of life, little work has examined the quality of life experienced by psychotherapist trainees themselves. Yet their life satisfactions and stresses would plausibly affect both their ability to learn new skills and conduct psychotherapy. Therefore, in the Society for Psychotherapy Research Interest Section on Psychotherapist Development and Training study, we investigated the patterns of self-reported life quality and their correlates in a multinational sample of 1,214 psychotherapist trainees. A comprehensive questionnaire was used at the outset of trainings to assess trainees' professional background, current life situation, personal characteristics, family background, and social and national origin. The findings indicated 54.3% of trainees' lives could be characterized as fortunate or happy (i.e., experiencing great life satisfaction and not much stress), whereas 14.3% could be characterized as clearly distressed or troubled (i.e., experiencing great life stress and not much satisfaction). The strongest correlates of high life stress, a contributor to poor life quality, were economic insecurity, self-protectiveness, and attachment-related anxiety in relationships, and economic or psychological hardship in childhood. In turn, greater wellbeing was most strongly associated with a warm and open interpersonal style, being married, having sufficient economic means, and material and emotional security in childhood. While the results indicate the majority of therapists experience a relatively good quality of life, the findings also suggest potential targets for increasing trainees' life quality when it may be deficient, such as those on a societal level (e.g., availability of low-cost student loans), training program level (e.g., promoting supportive supervision, positive between-trainee relationships and group collaboration), and individual level (e.g., personal therapy and learning self-care), in order to promote effective learning and therapy practice.

Relationship between dental experiences, oral hygiene education and self-reported oral hygiene behaviour.

Many preventive approaches in dentistry aim to improve oral health through behavioural instruction or intervention concerning oral health behaviour. However, it is still unknown which factors have the highest impact on oral health behaviours, such as toothbrushing or regular dental check-ups. Various external and internal individual factors such as education, experience with dentists or influence by parents could be relevant. Therefore, the present observational study investigated the influence of these factors on self-reported oral heath behaviour. One hundred and seventy participants completed standardized questionnaires about dental anxiety (Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), and dental self-efficacy perceptions (dSEP)). They also answered newly composed questionnaires on oral hygiene behaviours and attitudes, current and childhood dental experiences as well as parental oral hygiene education and care. Four independent factors, namely attitude towards oral hygiene, attitude towards one's teeth, sense of care and self-inspection of one's teeth were extracted from these questionnaires by rotating factor analysis. The results of the questionnaires were correlated by means of linear regressions. Dental anxiety was related to current negative emotions when visiting a dentist and negative dental-related experiences during childhood. High DAS scores, infantile and current negative experiences showed significant negative correlations with the attitude towards oral hygiene and one's teeth. Dental anxiety and current negative dental experiences reduced participants' dental self-efficacy perceptions as well as the self-inspection of one's teeth. While parental care positively influenced the attitude towards one's teeth, dental self-efficacy perceptions significantly correlated with attitude towards oral hygiene, self-inspection of one's teeth and parental care. Dental anxiety, dental experiences, parents' care for their children's oral hygiene and dental self-efficacy perceptions influence the attitude towards oral hygiene and one's own oral cavity as well as the autonomous control of one's own dental health. Therefore, oral hygiene instruction and the development of patient-centred preventive approaches should consider these factors.

Implementation of mentalization-based treatment in a day hospital program for eating disorders-A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Aim of the pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a day hospital program for eating disorders (EDs) after implementation of mentalization-based treatment (MBT), including a comparison to a historical matched control group. METHOD: All consecutively admitted patients with an ED were included in a prospective, observational study over a period of 2 years. Main outcome criteria were eating and overall psychopathology. Furthermore, changes in the capacity to mentalize (reflective functioning [RF]), difficulties with affect regulation and interpersonal problems were assessed at admission, discharge and a three months follow-up. RESULTS: Thirty-eight out of fourty patients could be included. The program led to significant reductions in eating and general pathology. There was significant improvement in RF, difficulties in emotion regulation and interpersonal functioning. However, there was no advantage in comparison to a matched control group (main outcomes). ED symptoms showed a slight renewed increase after discharge, while body mass index further increased. RF change was predictive of change in overall psychopathology, but not ED symptoms. Drop-out rate was 13.2%. CONCLUSION: The program showed no advantage in comparison to a historical control group concerning a reduction in eating and overall psychopathology. However, it was associated with low drop-out rates, and changes which MBT targets: An increase in RF and a reduction of interpersonal problems as well as difficulties in emotion regulation.

Mental distress and need for psychosocial support in prostate cancer patients: An observational cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in German men and associated with various physical and psychosocial problems. This study investigated the association between mental distress and the subjective need for psychosocial support comparing subgroups of patients with different treatments and disease stages. METHOD: We performed an observational, cross-sectional study including patients with four medical conditions: Active Surveillance, radical prostatectomy, biochemical relapse, metastasized disease. Mental distress (NCCN Distress-Thermometer), symptoms of depression and anxiety (PHQ-9, GAD-7), psychosocial needs and coping resources (self-designed questionnaire) were assessed. RESULTS: N = 130 patients were included. 33.3% showed distress, 16.5% symptoms of moderate depression and 13% symptoms of moderate anxiety. We found no significant differences between the four groups. An association was present between distress and wish for psychosocial support (χ2 = 4.3; p < 0.05; ϕ = 0.19). Almost 90% lived with a partner, which represents a resource. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate cancer patients showed low levels of mental distress, depression and anxiety with no difference in terms of disease stage and treatment modality. Therefore, careful psychosocial screening of all patients is essential to identify those in need for support. Distressed patients express a need for psychosocial support more often. Interpersonal relationships, most often wives and children, represent important coping resources.

Follow-Up Treatment After Inpatient Therapy of Patients With Unipolar Depression-Compliance With the Guidelines?

OBJECTIVE: To date, there is only a limited number of studies evaluating the implementation and effects of treatment guidelines. Therefore, this study aimed to determine how many patients diagnosed with a major depression were treated in compliance with the German treatment guideline after hospital treatment, and whether a deviation from the guideline resulted in a less favorable development. METHODS: Five hundred two patients, which originally participated in the INDDEP-study, were included. Data were collected at admission and discharge from eight different psychosomatic (psychotherapeutic) hospitals in Germany as well as 3 months and 1 year after hospital treatment. Data on depressive symptomatology were assessed by QIDS-C (clinical interviews). By phone interviews, the clinical course and the outpatient treatments were assessed. Statistical analyses compared patients who were treated in compliance with the German treatment guideline with those who were not. RESULTS: Seventy-nine point one percent of the outpatient treatments complied with the treatment guideline. Eleven point eight percent of the patients were treated with medication only, 60.2% with psychotherapy only, and 28.0% with a combination. There was no difference in the clinical outcome (depression) with regard to guideline compliance. Cases in which deviation from the guideline occurred (20.9%) were younger and had a less severe depressive symptomatology at admission and after hospital treatment. CONCLUSION: After treatment in a psychosomatic hospital or day hospital, the majority of patients with a depressive disorder received adjacent treatment in accordance with the German guideline and with a clear focus on psychotherapy. Deviations from the guideline did not result in a less favorable course of the illness. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN20317064, retrospectively registered 31.07.2012.

The Freiburg sport therapy program for eating disorders: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Unhealthy attitudes towards sport and problematic exercise behavior in eating disorders (ED) are common and associated with poorer treatment outcome and higher relapse rates. There is a need to develop and empirically test interventions that could complement standard treatment. The study aimed to assess the efficacy of the Freiburg sport therapy program for eating disorders (FSTP). METHODS: Outpatients with ED were randomized either to a 3 month sport therapy program (sport therapy group: STG) or a waiting list control group (CG). Patients were assessed when starting the program and at the end of the intervention. The intervention group (STG) was followed up after 6 month. Main outcome criterion was a reduction in unhealthy exercise (Commitment to Exercise Scale, CES). Secondary outcomes encompassed eating pathology (Eating Disorder Examination, EDE), different dimensions of unhealthy exercise (Compulsive Exercise Test, CET subscales) and exercise quantity (accelerometer). RESULTS: Recruitment was challenging. Fifteen patients were randomized to the STG and 11 were randomized to the CG condition. There was no statistically significant difference between groups according to the main outcome criterion. However, the STG showed a significantly stronger reduction in avoidance and rule driven behavior (CET subscale) when compared to the CG. Improvements (STG) were maintained at follow up. CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistically significant difference in the reduction of unhealthy attitudes towards sport and problematic exercise behavior between the intervention and the group, as measured with the Commitment to Exercise Scale. Further findings may point to the effectiveness of the program, but have to be interpreted with caution and verified in further studies. A major limitation is the small sample size. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Study register: ISRCTN 14776348 (registered 26 January, 2015.

Insular Cell Integrity Markers Linked to Weight Concern in Anorexia Nervosa-An MR-Spectroscopy Study.

OBJECTIVE: An insular involvement in the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa (AN) has been suggested in many structural and functional neuroimaging studies. This magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) study is the first to investigate metabolic signals in the anterior insular cortex in patients with AN and recovered individuals (REC). METHOD: The MR spectra of 32 adult women with AN, 21 REC subjects and 33 healthy controls (HC) were quantified for absolute N-acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamate + glutamine (Glx), total choline, myo-inositol, creatine concentrations (mM/L). After adjusting the metabolite concentrations for age and partial gray/white matter volume, group differences were tested using one-way multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA). Post-hoc analyses of variance were applied to identify those metabolites that showed significant group effects. Correlations were tested for associations with psychometric measures (eating disorder examination), duration of illness, and body mass index. RESULTS: The MANOVA exhibited a significant group effect. The NAA signal was reduced in the AN group compared to the HC group. The REC and the HC groups did not differ in metabolite concentrations. In the AN group, lower NAA and Glx signals were related to increased weight concern. DISCUSSION: We interpret the decreased NAA availability in the anterior insula as a signal of impaired neuronal integrity or density. The association of weight concern, which is a core feature of AN, with decreased NAA and Glx indicates that disturbances of glutamatergic neurotransmission might be related to core psychopathology in AN. The absence of significant metabolic differences between the REC and HC subjects suggests that metabolic alterations in AN represent a state rather than a trait phenomenon.

Self-Criticism and Personality Functioning Predict Patterns of Symptom Change in Major Depressive Disorder.

Aim of the study was to identify patient variables that predict specific patterns of symptom course during and after hospital treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). In a sample of 518 patients, four pairs of clinically relevant patterns of symptom change were contrasted. The time points of measurement were admission, discharge, 3 and 12 month after discharge. CATREG was used to identify the best sets of predictors from 28 variables. A greater reduction in self-criticism during hospital treatment was the strongest predictor of rapid and sustained improvement. Traumatic childhood experiences and lower abilities for communication with others predicted a transient relapse after discharge, while a co-morbid personality disorder and higher level of anxiety differentiated between those with a persistent relapse and those with only a transient relapse in depressive symptoms following discharge. Overall, patients with less severe depression at admission, better abilities in self-perception, and less self-criticism (baseline and/or greater reduction during treatment) showed a better outcome after 1 year. There is limited generalizability to other countries and treatment settings. Data on personality functioning were not available for all patients and findings are correlational in nature. However, findings are in support of a psychotherapeutic focus on a reduction of self-criticism in MDD. Patient with traumatization, a co-morbid personality disorder and lower abilities to communicate their emotional needs should get specific attention and support after discharge from hospital treatment.

[Therapeutic Effort in Inpatient or Day Patient Treatments and Therapy Success in Patients with Depressive Disorders]. / Therapeutischer Aufwand in stationärer oder tagesklinischer Behandlung und Therapieerfolg bei Patienten mit depressiven Störungen.

Several therapeutic treatments like individual psychotherapy, group therapy, creative therapies and talks with the nursing staff are components in an inpatient psychosomatic (psychotherapeutic) treatment or a psychosomatic day hospital treatment. In Germany, these therapies have to be documented by the administration with so called OPS-Codes. These codes are reported to the Institute for Reimbursement in Hospitals (InEK). With the data of the INDDEP-study it should be investigated how the therapies of 7 hospitals and 8 day-hospitals compare to each other. In addition, it should be studied, if the amount of the documented therapies is connected to the outcome in these hospitals. In the INDDEP-study, data of patients with major depression were assessed at 4 measurement points (admission, discharge, 3 months and 12 months follow up). In addition, the OPS codes of the treatments were documented. The results show that it is possible to get a rough estimation of the psychotherapeutic doses by the OPS-codes. The results show significant differences between the hospitals in terms of the intensity and professional group composition of the treatments. This result is confirmed for in-patient and day hospital treatments. Correlation analyses showed no significant correlation between the total amount of therapy and the improvement in depressive symptoms. It is assumed that there are moderating variables (patient-, therapy and process-related) which moderate the relation between doses and outcome. This should be identified in further studies.

The personal self of psychotherapists: Dimensions, correlates, and relations with clients.

OBJECTIVE: The personal self of psychotherapists, that is, experiences of self in close personal relationships and its association with therapists' individual and professional attributes is explored. The study aimed to: (a) describe therapists' self-ratings on specific self-attributes; (b) determine their dimensionality; (c) explore demographic, psychological, and professional correlates; and (d) assess the convergence with professional self. METHOD: Data from the Development of Psychotherapists Common Core Questionnaire were available for > 10,000 psychotherapists of various professions, theoretical orientations, career levels, and nations. RESULTS: Most psychotherapists described themselves in close relationships in affirming terms (e.g., warm/friendly), although a substantial minority also described themselves in negative terms. Factor analyses yielded four dimensions: Genial/Caring, Forceful/Exacting, Reclusive/Remote, and Ardent/Expressive. Being Genial/Caring was associated with life satisfaction. Among professional attributes, personal self-experiences, and parallel dimensions of relationship with clients correlated strongly. CONCLUSIONS: Analyses of > 10,000 psychotherapists revealed meaningful variations in personal self relevant to personal and professional life.