In Germany, it has been demonstrated that psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapeutic/psychosomatic inpatient treatment of an average of 7 to 8 weeks' duration is not only effective but also contributes to considerable cost savings both within the health system and the pension system.

It might be surprising, therefore, that the future existence of this system in Germany is threatened. In the last few years, the overall national economic situation has deteriorated, along with an enormous rise in social welfare costs. Measures that are being uncritically used to cut down on public expenditures for inpatient treatment in general may well lead to restrictions for inpatient psychotherapeutic treatment as well. In addition, a marked shift away from psychoanalytic methods