DEVELOPMENT OF NOT TREATED AND DROP-OUT P ATIENTS - CATAMNESIS 10 YEARS AFTER THE FIRST CONTACT

In general, psychotherapy-research assesses the effect of psychotherap eutic treatment. But how do patients develop, who could not be motivat ed for psychotherapy or who dropped out of psychotherapy? And what hap pens to patients who did not seem to be suitable for psychotherapy. Ac cording to the methodology of comparative case-study, 25 patients of t hese marginal groups were questioned in a psychoanalytical interview 1 0 years,after the inpatient preliminary four-day examination. In compa rison to 33 regularily treated patients, two typical patterns of devel opment could be distinguished: with patients, who could not be motivat ed, symptoms reaccured after a longer period of false solution; then, they were better motivated and could profit by psychotherapy. Patients who dropped out of psychotherapy or who were rejected, went through a relatively robust period as well, before symptoms reaccured; but the they showed less interest in psychotherapy and tended to seek medical treatment.