Male Adolescent Treatment Outcome: A Case Series of Eight Men Treated with Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

This paper presents a follow-up of the psychoanalytic psychotherapy of eight male adolescents treated by one of the authors (IHB). A questionnaire was offered to them 15-30 years after their initial psychotherapeutic contact in an effort to assess the effects of the psychotherapy and their current status. Good outcome was defined in terms of their sense of fulfillment and satisfaction with their lives, success in their work, marriage, having children, and being integral parts of their community. The findings were that all of the men had completed the developmental tasks of adolescence, but they separated into two groups due to differences in their adult outcomes. Those who did well had had good therapeutic alliances in psychotherapy as adolescents. Several improved despite significant substance abuse during adolescence and had fulfilling adulthoods. Those who did less well had more severe psychopathology and physical illness during adolescence, were less introspective, and had weaker relationships with the therapist. It is proposed that the psychotherapy in adolescence was beneficial for all of these patients, but different in its efficacy in accordance with patient characteristics.