Objectives: The aim of the research was to check whether during short-term psychodynamic-interpersonal group psychotherapy a change in the perception of bonding with parents occurs and if it is associated with a change in the intensity of neurotic symptoms. Methods: A group of 107 patients who suffered from neurosis, personality disorder, or eating disorder participated in a 12-week intensive group psychotherapy. Tools: Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) to evaluate the perception of bonding with parents, and Symptom Checklist KO SII to evaluate the intensity of neurotic symptoms. Measurements were made at the beginning and at the end of the psychotherapy. Results: a) There was a change in perception of bonding with parents during psychotherapy regarding care and control of the mother, control of the father and a change in the intensity of neurotic symptoms when the results were analyzed among the whole group. b) There was no correlation between the change in perception of bonding with parents and the change in intensity of neurotic symptoms. c) The analysis allowed to distinguish three clusters with characteristic profiles. Conclusions: a) In the whole study group we noticed a change in perception of parental bonding, whereas among the distinguished three clusters the observed changes were not significant. b) The analysis did not show any association between the change in perception of bonding with parents and the change in intensity of neurosis symptoms. c) Cluster analysis allowed to distinguish three characteristic profiles, each representing a different pattern of parental bonding. d) The study has, however, methodological limitations, e.g. a relatively small study group, heterogeneous diagnosis, or different age and gender of the participants.
