Psychotherapy of aged persons. II. Utilization and effectiveness of brief therapy.

This study is essentially an attempt to elaborate on a method of giving reassurance and emotional support to aged people. The method is based on clinical data organized in terms of observed adaptational efforts of aged persons. Our results are promising. While there is no doubt that a number of these patients would have done fully as well without treatment it also seems clear that treatment reveals a clue as to how they would have achieved their improvement or stabilization. This is the important aspect of Supportive treatment; it crystallizes a relationship in which the patient can heal some of his psychological wounds, and it watches and controls this process. Certainly if the patient can find a favorable relationship elsewhere the same healing will occur, but not for our enlightenment and without the assurance that everything possible to help keep it a healing process will be done. The results of treatment are in accordance with expectations based on well-known psychiatric facts. Past performance is th...