Prophylactic effects of psychoanalysis on cancer-prone and coronary heart disease-prone probands, as compared with control groups and behaviour therapy groups.

It has been shown repeatedly that behaviour therapy fulfils a useful prophylactic function in the prevention of cancer and coronary heart disease. The present study investigates the effects of orthodox psychoanalytic treatment on the eventual probability of death from cancer and coronary heart disease in probands treated by psychoanalysis for over two years, probands who broke off psychoanalytic treatment after less than two years, and various control groups. Psychoanalysis is shown to have a significantly negative effect on survival after seven years follow-up.