Change of core conflicts of schizophrenic patients who received brief psychodynamic psychotherapy: a pilot study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the change of core conflicts of schizophrenic patients who received brief psychodynamic psychotherapy (BPP). METHODS: The change of core conflicts and relationship patterns over dynamic psychotherapy sessions were assessed by the core conflictual relationship theme (CCRT) method. Patients were enrolled either from the psychiatric outpatient department or day hospital in a medical center. Transcripts of psychotherapy sessions were used for CCRT analysis. In each extracted transcript, 3 components, i.e., wishes, responses from others and responses of self, were identified and were used to formulate the CCRT. CCRT pervasiveness was calculated to compare the change of each component from early to late sessions. RESULTS: The main other person most frequently mentioned was the family member. The changes of positive and negative responses of self were found to be statistically significant. Wishes were not so pervasive as those of non-psychotic patients. A high drop-out rate characterized the schizophrenic patients. CONCLUSION: Self-understanding and self-control may well explain the significant change in responses of self, even in patients with essentially poor ego strength like schizophrenics.