PROBLEMS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN INPATIEN T GROUP-PSYCHOTHERAPY

Based upon the observation that some current approaches of quality ass urance do not really come up to the specific characteristics of differ ent psychotherapeutic settings, this article discusses quality assuran ce from the perspective of inpatient group psychotherapy. It different iates issues of structural quality (e.g. the importance of the institu tional frame, rules for indication, or treatment concepts), process qu ality with special consideration of problems connected with short term group treatment, and outcome quality, which in order to be assured ne eds the development of methods which reflect the group setting adequat ely.