Changes in intensity of neurotic symptoms associated with reduction of suicidal ideation in patients who underwent psychotherapy in the day hospital for the treatment of neurotic and behavioral disorders.

Aim. Analysis of associations between changes in the intensity of neurotic symptoms and reduction of suicidal ideation (SI) or lack of SI reduction, in patients who underwent a course of intensive psychotherapy conducted in integrative approach with predominance of psychodynamic approach in a day hospital.
Material and method. Symptom Checklist KO“O” and Life Inventory completed by 461 women and 219 men treated in the psychotherapeutic day hospital due to neurotic, behavioral or personality disorders between 2005–2013. During the qualification for the therapy 134 women and 80 men reported SI, of whom 84.3% and 77.5% respectively improved.

Conclusions. The results show effectiveness and comprehensiveness of intensive psychotherapy as a treatment method that leads to improvement in terms of both SI and neurotic symptoms. This suggests that the applied therapy may be effective in preventing suicidality
in this group of patients. The observed associations also point in favor of hypothesis on similarities
in etiopathogenesis of and partly identical personality-related factors predisposing to
SI and neurotic disorders.