PSYCHODIAGNOSTIC FOLLOW-UP EXAMINATIONS I N PATIENTS WITH CROHNS-DISEASE DURING INTERNAL INTENSIVE-CARE

The present study includes 40 patients with Crohn's disease who underw ent an internal and psychodiagnostic examination over a period of 5 to 8 weeks. On the average, there were only minor psychic symptoms were recorded in the psychodiagnostic instruments. The fewest symptoms were seen in the recurrence-free interval, a moderate number at the beginn ing of intermittent inpatient treatment and the largest number of symp toms in patients transferred to a psychosomatic department. While decr easing significantly from high levels under internal intensive care an d at the beginning of inpatient depth-analysis-based psychotherapy, sy mptoms of depression and anxiety dropped only slightly from initially low levels in outpatients. In addition, there were first changes in th e patients personality profile during psychotherapy. The findings are discussed under diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.