Twenty-six patients with neurodermatitis were treated in short-term psychotherapy specifically designed to encourage and reinforce the expression of hostility toward present life situations. Results supported the hypotheses that (1) patients with neurodermatitis can be treated in short-term psychotherapy with successful remission of their symptom, and (2) that patients who do not improve or who discontinue the prescribed course of treatment differ significantly from those who complete it successfully. Successfully treated patients evidenced greater intensity of overt hostility (as inferred from initial interview) and a greater number of hostile-content responses on the Rorschach test. These differences were interpreted as related to the availability of aggressive ideas, necessary for successful adherence to the therapeutic program. Over-all results substantiate the hypothesis that hostility is a significant factor in the etiology of neurodermatitis and that significant differences exist between those who can be successfully treated in short-term psychotherapy and those who cannot.