Treatment in day hospitals for psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy

In the field of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy in Germany there was a comparatively late development to establish day hospitals. Day hospitals as independent units can be distinguished from inpatient units that have additional places for patients that are partially hospitalized. The treatment programs of day hospitals can differ in intensity and structure but in most of the cases programs are comparable to inpatient programs. The most important characteristic of a day hospital is the close interweaving of intensive psychosomatic psychotherapeutic treatment with the everyday life situation of treated patients, to which they daily return. This is accompanied by specific advantages and disadvantages that must be taken into account when deciding for which patients this treatment modality is suitable.