Biomaterial Database

Brief psychotherapy: a case report illustrating its potential effectiveness. 1977

T L Brink

The advance of industrialization in Mexico and elsewhere has brought about psychosocial problems of aging similar to those encountered in the United States. A case study is presented of a 64-year-old Mexican widow who had suicidal thoughts and feeling of uselessness. External constraints on the therapist dictated that psychotherapy be completed within 15 days. A strategy of brief psychotherapy was adopted. The focus was not on establishing transference, probing the unconscious or reconstructing the patient's personality, but on identifying problems and formulating practical solutions promptly. Four hour-long sessions were sufficient to gather information and to counsel the patient and her family. The diagnosis was depression. Treatment centered around increasing the quality of the patient's activity. The initial success of these measure made for a good prognosis. Both patient and family were advised of the availability of antidepressant drugs, and advised against relocating the patient.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011379	Prognosis	A prediction of the probable outcome of a disease based on a individual's condition and the usual course of the disease as seen in similar situations.	Prognostic Factor,Prognostic Factors,Factor, Prognostic,Factors, Prognostic,Prognoses
D011614	Psychotherapy, Brief	Any form of psychotherapy designed to produce therapeutic change within a minimal amount of time, generally not more than 20 sessions.	Short-Term Psychotherapy,Brief Psychotherapy,Psychotherapy, Short-Term,Solution-Focused Brief Therapy,Brief Psychotherapies,Brief Therapies, Solution-Focused,Brief Therapy, Solution-Focused,Psychotherapies, Brief,Psychotherapies, Short-Term,Psychotherapy, Short Term,Short Term Psychotherapy,Short-Term Psychotherapies,Solution Focused Brief Therapy,Solution-Focused Brief Therapies,Therapies, Solution-Focused Brief,Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000275	Adjustment Disorders	Maladaptive reactions to identifiable psychosocial stressors occurring within a short time after onset of the stressor. They are manifested by either impairment in social or occupational functioning or by symptoms (depression, anxiety, etc.) that are in excess of a normal and expected reaction to the stressor.	Anniversary Reaction,Depression, Reactive,Reactive Disorders,Transient Situational Disturbance,Adjustment Disorder,Anniversary Reactions,Depressions, Reactive,Disorder, Adjustment,Disorder, Reactive,Disorders, Adjustment,Disorders, Reactive,Disturbance, Transient Situational,Disturbances, Transient Situational,Reaction, Anniversary,Reactions, Anniversary,Reactive Depression,Reactive Depressions,Reactive Disorder,Situational Disturbance, Transient,Situational Disturbances, Transient,Transient Situational Disturbances