The effectiveness of brief psychological intervention at a university counseling service - Proceedings XX National Congress AIP Urbino 2018 Poster session

Recent research has highlighted that a considerable number of university students request access to University Counseling Services for psychopathological symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression). Several studies have contributed to prove the effectiveness of psychological interventions for the students who benefit from a university psychological counselling intervention, demonstrating a significant decrease in emotional distress and an improvement in academic adjustment. The interest on outcome studies of psychodynamic counselling intervention is increasing. The present study aimed to explore the change of clinical symptomatology (i.e., anxiety symptoms) at the end of a time-limited psychodynamic intervention illustrating a single case of B., a university student who asked for help at Psychological Counseling Center of Sapienza University of Rome. The intervention contemplated four sessions, plus a follow-up session after three months. The student's personality was assessed using the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure [SWAP-200] Both the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2. [OQ-45.2.] and the Adult Self Report [ASR] were used as outcome measures. The psychological-clinical evaluation of B. revealed a "generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks" according to DSM-5 criteria. Personality assessment using the SWAP- 200 highlighted the presence of an avoidant (62.13 (T)), obsessive (61.79) and dependent style (60.41). At the end of the intervention, a considerable improvement of complained symptomatology was observed, in line with the significant improvement detected by OQ-45 (pre-intervention total score = 103; post-intervention total score = 80). The follow-up evaluation showed a complete symptomatic remission, in line with the findings of OQ-45 (follow-up total score = 39). Psychodynamic counseling intervention appears to be effective in facilitating symptomatic resolution and in providing support to B. to overcome her study block.