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A study covering three years was made of an on-ward follow-up program for patients discharged from their original ward, in contrast to the usual off-the-ward, follow-up programs. It was found that readmissions (the “revolvingdoor syndrome”) diminished markedly. The return of the ward patient for treatment to a follow-up clinic on his original ward was a prime catalyst in sustaining basic contact and supporting a positive transference which maintained the patient outside of the hospital.

Patients who, unable to overcome emotional crises,9 became anxious and developed mild obsessive-compulsive neuroses of sudden onset were treated by psychoanalytic psychotherapy of short duration. In this paper, criteria for selection of such patients from a psychiatric clinic population are listed. The technique of short-term dynamic psychotherapy or anxiety-provoking treatment, is described. Special emphasis is placed on the utilization of the positive transference, the avoidance of a transference neurosis, and early termination of treatment. Brief case reports are presented. In the follow-up interviews, although no basic characterological changes have been achieved, there is evidence of new learning and over-all improvement.