Outcome of Dynamic Psychotherapy Clinical Examples of Long-Term Follow up Correlating Symptomatic and Dynamic Improvement following Individual Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

This paper outlines the background, the conflicts and the response m psychotherapy of eight patients. The cases are drawn from a sample of 84 patients treated with psychotherapy or psychoanalysis and followed up three to nine years alter the end of therapy. Two patients presented us with a “fake solution” leading to a symptom-free picture with the initial conflict still very much unresolved, in one case the assessment of outcome was linked to cultural value judgements. The two be„ and the two worst outcome results are outlined which throw light on assessment procedures and on reconstruction of childhood experience in therapy. The teacher shows how a moderately satisfactory result can be attained with a very short intervention. The paper illustrates how careful examination of assessment material reveals cogent dynamic hypotheses which may even haw escaped the original interviewer. Detailed semistructured clinical follow-up interviews reveal how conflicts have evolved or have been solved over marry years. Hardly any studies have focused on this important area, and some of our striking clinical material shows how useful and instructive curiosity about long-term outcome can be Psychotherapists' lack of such curiosity is, sadly, equally striking.

The patient's reactions to and criticisms of therapy are also examined. The pattern of insight followed by symptom relief provides evidence or causal connection between self awareness and cure.