Personality disorders and psychosocial changes after intensive psychotherapy: A prospective follow‐up study of an outpatient psychotherapy project, 5 years after end of treatment*

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Abstract
This report presents the results of a 7‐year prospective outcome study designed to examine the psychosocial changes during and after therapy among 25 outpatients suffering from personality disorders and psychoses. The therapeutic approach was based mainly on object relations theory and psychodynamic self‐psychology, and focused in particular on affect consciousness, parental images, self‐image and interpersonal relations. Twenty patients completed the form which measured psychosocial changes during therapy, and 21 persons participated at follow‐up. The data show statistically significant changes in the capacity to tolerate intimate relationships and actually establish such relationships, improved quality of contact in relationships with friends, a general raising of socioeconomic status and reduced use of ordinary health and social services. Both the global psychosocial outcome at follow‐up as measured by HSRS and the general level of symptoms measured by SCL‐90 suggest that 76% of the sample had reached a level of psychosocial functioning and adaptation that can be defined as “no‐caseness”.

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