Psychotherapy in a day clinic: results of a 1.5 year follow-up.

Objective: In a prospective, naturalistic 1.5 year follow-up study of N= 114 consecutively admitted day clinic patients efficacy of the program and predictors of outcome are evaluated.

Methods: Patients had severe neurotic disturbances and personality disorders. Interviews and questionnaires (SCL-90-R, EDI) were used for evaluation at admission, discharge and follow-up.

Results: From 79.8% of the patients information could be obtained. In the main diagnostic categories between 30 to 50% of the patients showed complete remissions at follow-up. Patients at least kept improvements at follow-up. The rating of the "transition phase" after discharge was predictive for outcome. The group of patients that rated this phase as difficult showed higher levels of psychopathology at admission.

Conclusions: It is possible to treat severely disturbed patients in a psychotherapeutic day clinic with good and lasting effects. A more disturbed group of patients needs special help to cope with the transition into the outpatient situation.