The lower levels of BDNF in subjects suffering from PD and AD with suicide attempts, suggest that the serum BDNF level is a potential marker of suicidal behaviour, independent of mental disorders.

The aim of this study was to examine the importance of Yalom’s therapeutic factors in psychodynamic group psychotherapy based on the duration of patients’ participation in the group and their sociodemographic characteristics. A total of 57 outpatients with psychosis completed Yalom’s therapeutic factors questionnaire, and were divided into four groups according to the duration of their participation in the group. The instillation of hope, group cohesiveness and existential factors were the highest ranking, whereas identification was the lowest ranking therapeutic factor. Longer participation in the group was associated with greater perceived importance of catharsis and family re-enactment factors. The relationship between the perceived importance of the therapeutic factors and the participant’s gender, age, and level of education was examined. The findings of this study may contribute to an improved understanding of group processes in patients with psychosis, and may assist with the development of more effective therapeutic approaches in this population.

BackgroundThe Sveti Ivan Psychiatric Hospital in Zagreb, Croatia, offers foster home care treatment that includes pharmacotherapy, group psychodynamic psychotherapy, family therapy, and work and occupational therapy. The aim of this study is to compare the health-related quality of life of patients with schizophrenia treated in foster home care with that of patients in standard outpatient treatment.MethodsThe sample consisted of 44 patients with schizophrenia who, upon discharge from the hospital, were included in foster home care treatment and a comparative group of 50 patients who returned to their families and continued receiving outpatient treatment. All patients completed the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire on the day they completed hospital treatment, 6 months later, and 1 year after they participated in the study. The research also included data on the number of hospitalizations for both groups of patients.ResultsThough directly upon discharge from the hospital, patients who entered foster home care treatment assessed their health-related quality of life as poorer than patients who returned to their families, their assessments significantly improved over time. After 6 months of treatment, these patients even achieved better results in several dimensions than did patients in the outpatient program, and they also had fewer hospitalizations. These effects remained the same at the follow-up 1 year after the inclusion in the study.ConclusionNotwithstanding the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that treatment in foster home care is associated with an improvement in the quality of life of patients with schizophrenia, but the same was not observed for the patients in standard outpatient treatment. We hope that these findings will contribute to an improved understanding of the influence of psychosocial factors on the functioning of patients and the development of more effective therapeutic methods aimed at improving the patients’ quality of life.

While acknowledging the limitations of this preliminary study, we conclude that participating in psychodynamic group psychotherapy is related to increases in the cognitive functioning of patients with schizophrenia, and our results provide a sound basis for future research.

A structured psychoeducation is a method of treatment of patients and their families with the approved therapeutical effect.Background and Aims:In our hospital psychoeducation is a part of early interventions directed to first episodes of psychotic patients (that includes first 5 years of psychosis). Duration of the programme is one year and it has been influenced by simmilar experiences in Great Britain and PORT˘s recommendations (Sshizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team). A specific quality of the programme is collaboration of group psychotherapy approach conducted by group analysts and psychoeducation conducted by cognitive-behavioral therapists. All therapists involved in the programme have been supervised monthly by proffesionals.The psychoeducation is common for all patients and their family members.Number of hospitalisations, cognitive, emotional and social functioning, changes of basic beliefs and present symptoms have been estimated during the programme.Methods:The aim of the poster presentation is to evaluate the efficacy of treatment and rehabilitation of patients that participate in the programme together with pharmacotherapy in order to achieve better treatment efficacy. Patient that have been involved in the both psychoeducation and pharmacotherapy are compared to patients treated with drugs only. Questionnaires that measure self-esteem and loneliness have been used.Results and Conclusions:Since actual psychoeducation ends at the end of this year, the first results of two first grades are expected at the beginning of 2008.