SUCCESS OF THE PATIENT ALTERNATIVE THERAPIST RELATIONSHIP

Factors affecting the success of the patient-alternative therapist rel ationship were studied, The study subjects consisted of a random sampl e of adult Finns (n = 2,134) who were interviewed by telephone or in p erson during the spring of 1992. One hundred and fifty-nine of those i nterviewed had visited an alternative therapist during the preceding y ear. They were divided into two groups on the basis of their subjectiv e assessment of the outcome: those who had benefited from treatment (n = 125) and those who had not benefited from treatment (n = 34). The p atient's age, sex, education, place of residence, or religiousness wer e not connected with the success of treatment. Those who had benefited from treatment given by an alternative therapist were more often sing le than the others. Reported health, smoking, drinking, and symptoms o f illness did not differentiate between the two groups. According to a univariate analysis, those who had benefited from treatment had exper ienced more safety and security in the therapeutic relationship than t he others (p < 0.01). In a regression analysis those who had benefited from treatment were differentiated from those who had not benefited i n terms of subjectively experienced safety and security (p < 0.01) and power of concentration (p < 0.05). The results of the present study s uggest that the success of a patient-alternative therapist relationshi p is predicted by the nature of the transference activated in the ther apeutic relationship. If the emotional ambience of the therapeutic rel ationship is safe and secure, the patient benefits more from the treat ment.