Long-term outcomes of short-term and long-term psychosomatic inpatient treatment and their predictors

ObjectivesThe Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the University Giessen, Germany, offers short-term (STT) and long-term inpatient therapy (LTT).MethodsIn a prospective, 3-year follow-up study, we examined therapeutic indication, short- and long-term results, outcome predictors, and the utilization of aftercare for both settings.ResultsSTT patients were more frequently acutely ill, suffered from stronger symptomatic manifestations, and were more frequently employed. LTT patients had a greater rate of chronic psychosomatic disorders, personality disorders and somatic comorbidity. In both settings, distress strongly declined during inpatient therapy and remained stable for 3 years. Negative predictors of outcome were infantile object relation patterns and interpersonal problems. We found no differences between STT and LTT patients in terms of the utilization of aftercare.ConclusionDuration of psychosomatic inpatient treatment should be differentiated according to the chronicity and nature of the disorder.