TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC SOMATIC SYMPTOMS BY MEANS OF ART PSYCHOTHERAPY - A PROCESS DESCRIPTION

Background: Inability to express emotions is common in patients with l onglasting somatic symptoms associated with incapacitation and impaire d quality of life. One method for treating this inability is art psych otherapy. In this study the typical course in such treatments is descr ibed. Patients were followed longitudinally before therapy and every 4 th to 6th month during the treatment. Methods: Patients with long-last ing psychosomatic conditions resulting in partial or total loss of wor king capacity for at least 1 year have been treated in the programme. All of them had chronic pain. The majority of the patients that were r eferred to us were offered treatment. Three-fourths of those who start ed treatment stayed in treatment as long as the therapist considered i t optimal. Twenty-four patients (22 women and 2 men) in the present st udy had their treatment started on average 2 years (range 13-42 months ) before the end of the treatment period. In addition these 24 patient s were contacted 6-48 months after the end of the therapy (average 23 months) and a short post-evaluation was made by telephone. Results: Th e first year of treatment was characterized by emotional turmoil paral leled by increased energy level reflected in temporary elevation of se rum uric acid. Significant improvement was observed with regard to anx iety-depression after one year of treatment. A tendency towards decrea sed levels of psychosomatic symptoms in general was observed after two years of treatment. One-fourth of the 20 non-working or parttime work ing patients increased their working activity. Conclusions: A slow par tial recovery was observed. Art psychotherapy may have contributed to this.