Group psychotherapy for obesity: a correlation between results of treatment and initial psychological testing

Psicoterapia de grupo na obesidade: correlação entre os resultados do tratamento e a testagem psicológica inicial

Group psychotherapy for obesity. A correlation between results of treatment and initial psychological testing

Psicoterapia de grupo na obesidade. Correlação entre os resultados do tratamento e a testagem psicológica inicial

Henricus Wijsenbeek; Baruch Landau; Avner Elitsur

Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Endocrinology, Beilinson Medical Center and Tel Aviv University Medical School

SUMMARY

Twelve obese women, who had been refractory to Phenmethrazine hydrochloride and dietary treatment, were theated throughout one year with a combination of group psychotherapy and diet instructions. A significant correlation was found between the findings of the psychological testing and the results of group treatment. Patients who had been diagnosed by various tests as being neurotic responded much better to the combined treatment (as evaluated by weight-reduction and emotional improvement) than those patients which had been diagnosed as psychotics.

RESUMO

Doze mulheres obesas, que não tinham tido proveito com o tratamento dietético associado à administração de cloridrato de fenmetrazina, foram tratadas durante um ano com uma combinação de psicoterapia de grupo e instruções dietéticas. Correlação significativa foi encontrada entre os elementos colhidos pela testagem psicológica e os resultados do tratamento em grupo. As pacientes que, após a testagem inicial, foram consideradas como neuróticas responderam melhor ao tratamento combinado (avaliada a melhora pela diminuição do peso corporal e pela regularização do estado emocional) do que as pacientes que previamente tinham sido consideradas como tendentes a psicoses.

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Gehah Psychiatric Hospital — Tel Aviv University Medical School — P.O.B. 72 — Petah-Tiquah, Israel.

Author's acknowledgments— We wish to thank the Director of Beilinson Hospital and the staff of dieticians (headed by Zahava Averbuch) for their assistance. We acknowledge the helpful participation of R. N. Hanna Cahanow in this study.

References

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  14 May 2013
• Date of issue
  June 1968