| Abstract: | This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a time-limited (10 months), combined individual and group treatment in a Day Hospital (DH) setting. Participants (N = 73) completed measures of general symptoms and alexithymia. We hypothesized improvements in these symptoms at the end of the overall therapeutic treatment. Results showed significant improvement in ability to identify and describe emotions and feelings, and in general symptoms. Differences in age and personality disorders were found at the end of the treatment: younger patients had less difficulty in identifying emotions, and psychotic patients have higher difficulty to describe feelings compared to patients with personality disorders. Furthermore, patients with schizophrenia had lower pathological symptoms compared to patients with mood disorders. This naturalistic longitudinal study demonstrates that DH treatments in group setting increase the patient‘s ability to symbolize and to connect their symptoms to thought and emotions. |
