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Aim. To assess the effectiveness of the long-term group psychotherapy in war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by evaluation of clinical picture of PTSD, associated neurotic symptoms and adopted models of psychological defense mechanisms. Methods. Prospective cohort study of 59 war veterans who participated in a five-year dynamic-oriented, supportive group psychotherapy. The groups met once a week for 90 minutes. Forty-two veterans finished the psychotherapy. The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale structured interview was used to assess the intensity of PTSD, Crown-Crisp Index was used to assess other neurotic symptoms, and Life Style Questionnaire was used to assess the defense mechanisms. The assessments were done at the beginning of psychotherapy, after the second, and after the fifth year of treatment. Comorbid diagnoses, hospitalizations, and treatments in a day hospital were observed. Results. Long term group psychotherapy reduced the intensity of PTSD symptoms (difference between CAPS score at the beginning and end of treatment F=9.103 P=0.001). Other neurotic symptoms and the characteristic profile of defense mechanisms did not change significantly during the course of treatment. Predominant defense mechanisms were projection (M=82.0± ; ; ; 14.4) and displacement (M=69.0± ; ; ; 16.8). No symptom or defense mechanism showed significant difference at the beginning of treatment, after two and after five years of treatment. After the second year of psychotherapy, the number of diagnosed major depressive episodes increased, and decreased at the end of treatment. Conclusion. Psychotherapy can reduce the intensity of PTSD symptoms, but the changes in the personality of veterans with PTSD are deeply rooted. Traumatic experiences lead to forming of a rigid model of defense functioning, which, unfortunately, can hardly be significantly influenced by long term group psychotherapy.

The aim of this research is to assess which therapeutic factors are of greatest importance to patients in group analytic psychotherapy, and whether the patients' characteristics and the phase of the group process influenced their evaluation of therapeutic factors. The Yalom's group therapeutic factors questionnaire was filled out by 66 patients, members of small groups conducted according to group analytic principles. The average scores for each therapeutic factor were subsequently ranked by importance to the patients and related to their age, sex, education, previous Psychotherapeutic experience, and Phase of group process. Self-understanding was. the highest-ranking therapeutic factor for the patients (average score 21.32 +/- 0.04 out of 25 maximum), whereas identification was the lowest ranking factor (15.88 +/- 0.06 in average). Group therapeutic factors were scored higher by women, patients up to 30 years of age, high-school graduates, and those with previous psychotherapeutic experience. Self-understanding seems to be the most important therapeutic factor in group analysis, emphasizing the importance of appropriate selection of patients for group analysis in order to utilize therapeutic factors the best.

Our research included sample of 60 soldiers. They were roughly divided into true groups: (1) experimental group (N = 30) consisted of soldiers temporarily disabled for military service. They were put on a two week group programme of psychotherapy: (2)Control group (N = 30)consisted of soldiers temporarily disabled for military service, who, however, were not included in any psychotherapeutic programme. patients of both groups were approximately the sam age, sex, education background, were administrated the same type of psychotropic medication, and the time laps of trauma occured at about the same time. Their emotional state and psychosomatic scales were taken before and after treatment. The third control teas made after a year: The obtained results show a statistical significance in scales: -selfevaluation of the experience of the possibility of self-control of existing psychic difficulties (F=4, 66 (0, 035 ; p