Browsing by Subject "GAF"

Objectives. How is dialectical behavioral therapy in intensive outpatient care connected to changes in psychiatric symptoms? The focus is on psychological inflexibility, anxiety, general functioning, chronic worry and suicidal ideation. In addition, the need for treatment within 90 days of the end of the treatment period is examined. Methods. The study focused on patients (n=98) in intensive outpatient care. The mean age at the beginning of the treatment period was 34.0 years and the standard deviation was 12.4 years. Psychological inflexibility (AAQ-2), anxiety (BAI), general functioning (GAF), chronic worry (PSWQ) and suicidal ideation (SSI) were measured at the beginning and at the end of the treatment period. The total scores from the measurements were combined with the psychiatric information of the health system. The change in scores were examined with linear mixed models and linear logistic mixed models. The need for later psychiatric treatment was examined with logistic regression analysis. Results and conclusions. Dialectical behavioral therapy was found to be associated with psychiatric symptoms in intensive outpatient care. Anxiety and chronic worry decreased while general functioning increased during the treatment period. At the end of the treatment period, a smaller number of patients had suicidal thoughts. The frequency and duration of the treatment period were not associated with psychiatric symptoms. Younger patients were more likely to re-enter psychiatric treatment than older patients after three months of dialectical behavior therapy. When it comes to re-entering psychiatric treatment, it is possible that the risk decreasing with age sufficiently reflects internalised skills and achieved individual goals. Another possibility is that after the treatment period, younger patients need psychiatric care faster than older patients. This study provides encouraging evidence for the effectiveness of dialectical behavioral therapy in intensive outpatient care in a heterogeneous patient sample.