Revista Brasileira de Psicoteratia

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine whether the profile of patients seeking for mental health care near their birthday dates present different socio-demographic and clinical characteristics.
METHOD: The time difference between the 1056 patients' birthday dates and the dates of their intake interviews was associated with the factors of this study.
RESULTS: Patients who seek for mental health care at a date close to their birthdays present a higher number of symptoms, higher scores in anxiety and psychoticism, defend themselves more anticipating the conflict and less denying it.
DISCUSSION: It is possible that for patients with these characteristics, the birthday date represents a stressful event, but at the same time motivating to search for care. The lack of literature on the subject complicates the interpretation of the findings.
CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the motivation for treatment, as well as its triggering factor, seems relevant to understand treatment compliance and success in patients who seek for help to deal with psychological distress. The date of search, when occurring close to the patient's birthday date, appears as a variable potentially significant to understand the motivation for treatment.

Descritores: psicoterapia; ensino; terapia psicanalítica; psicoterapia psicodinâmica; psiquiatria psicodinâmica; residência médica; especializaçao.