1981 Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 201-206
The purpose of this study is to make clear the factors essential to the effectiveness of autogenic training (AT). Questionnaires about such factors were sent out to'267 PSD out-patients who were taught AT during past five years from August l, 1974 till July 31,1979. The answers were received from 89 patients (43 males and 46 females) ; 36. 8% of the whole patients, and the mean age was 37. 8 years. Irritable bowel syndrome constituted 44% of 32 patients with digestive organ diseases, while anxiety neurosis was 23% of 57 cases with nondigestive organ diseases. On the whole, AT was found to be very effective in 8 patients, effective in 37,fairly effective in 25,non-effective in 17 and 4 patients could not judge its effect. At least 79% of 89 patients felt that AT was effective to some extent. Rather higher efficacy was shown in higher age patients ; those in their 30's felt AT was significantly more effective than those in their 20's. (X2 =9.91,p<0. 01). As for diagnosis, AT was very useful to esophageal neurosis, duodenal ulcer, nervous vomiting and migraine. In addition, AT was shown to be effective especially in depression, vegetative dystonia and anxiety. But correlation were found neither between CMI and AT effectiveness, nor between YG test and AT effectiveness. Significantly higher efficacy was shown by those patients who learned AT better (U test, p<0. 05), and 74% of the effective group felt their reactions within a month. Those who repeated AT every day showed significantly higher efficacy than those who did only once a month (X2 =4. 75,p <0. 05). Judging from these results, it may be said that l) AT is more effective to the higher age patients rather than the younger, 2) AT seems to be more useful to those who have a depressive tendency and /or anxiety, and 3) higher efficacy can be expected from repetition of AT.
