Psychosomatic Inpatient Rehabilitation for People with Depression in Germany

Abstract

In Germany, inpatient therapy for depression mainly takes place in either health insurance-financed psychiatric hospitals, or in pension insurance-financed, psychotherapy-focused, psychosomatic rehabilitation hospitals. In psychiatric hospitals, the diagnosis is made according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), and therapeutic attempts are made to achieve remission, whereas in rehabilitation hospitals, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) plays an essential diagnostic role. Accordingly, the main German pension insurance, Deutsche Rentenversicherung, has developed a rehabilitation therapy standard for depressive disorders. In this chapter, we focus on the psychotherapeutic inpatient rehabilitation for patients with depression based on an example of a specialized psychotherapeutic hospital. This example illustrates how psychotherapeutic inpatient rehabilitation can be tailored to the individual's needs and may include any of the following therapeutic modalities: Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Schema Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP), pharmacotherapy, group therapy for comorbid conditions, skills training, psychoeducation, occupational therapy (OT), movement therapy, physiotherapy, music therapy, social work, family work, and self-help groups. People with depression may benefit from this service model of psychosomatic inpatient rehabilitation beyond symptom remission, as it focuses on increasing people's functional level as well as their quality of life.