Indication for psychotherapy: Which influence have patients' interpersonal problems on the selection of treatment and setting?

Based upon 477 clinical intake interviews performed by 37 different interviewers, this study investigates the influence of the kind and degree of interpersonal problems of patients on the selection of psychotherapy and the psychotherapeutic setting (individual vs. group treatment, inpatient vs. outpatient psychotherapy). Interpersonal problems were obtained using the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP, HOROWITZ et al. 1994), and rated by the interviewers on the eight dimensions of the IIP. It can be shown that the selection of patients for psychotherapy depends upon the agreement of the interviewers and the patient with respect to the kind and degree of interpersonal problems. Further it can be demonstrated that the recommendation of group treatment depends upon the prevalence of specific interpersonal problems. Similar results are reported with respect to the patients' selection for inpatient psychotherapy.