Search

Objective The aim of this study is to develop a drawing test form and it’s scoring system for measuring depressive symptoms of breast cancer patients.Methods We enrolled 95 breast cancer patients in this study which was conducted from September 2016 to May 2018. First, we observed items of the Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS) which were significantly different between patients with and without depression, and also we reviewed previous studies on the drawing style of Korean women with depression. Second, we developed the Drawing Test Form for Depression (DTF-D) by composition of those drawing styles observed significant items in previous literatures and formative elements of DDS which was significantly different between depressed and non-depressed group. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to define the appropriate score of the DTF-D in accordance with the depression measured with Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score >9.Results We developed the DTF-D by compositing 8 items including Harmony, Tilt, Symbol, Space utilization, Surrounded, Description, Pen pressure, and Quality of line. The ROC analysis revealed the optimal cut-off score of 7 points of DTF-D in accordance with the clinical depression (PHQ-9 score >9) with the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve showed good discrimination (0.82), sensitivity (0.85), and specificity (0.64).Conclusion The DTF-D is expected to serve as an evaluative projective drawing test from for identifying depression in breast cancer patients.

Adult gyrification provides a window into coordinated early neurodevelopment when disruptions predispose individuals to psychiatric illness. We hypothesized that the echoes of such disruptions should be observed within structural gyrification networks in early psychiatric illness that would demonstrate associations with developmentally relevant variables rather than specific psychiatric symptoms. We employed a new data-driven method (Orthogonal Projective Non-Negative Matrix Factorization) to delineate novel gyrification-based networks of structural covariance in 308 healthy controls. Gyrification within the networks was then compared to 713 patients with recent onset psychosis or depression, and at clinical high-risk. Associations with diagnosis, symptoms, cognition, and functioning were investigated using linear models. Results demonstrated 18 novel gyrification networks in controls as verified by internal and external validation. Gyrification was reduced in patients in temporal-insular, lateral occipital, and lateral fronto-parietal networks (pFDR

Анотація. Мета дослідження полягає у тому, щоб виявити специфіку розладів афективного спектру особистості зрілого віку в кризові періоди її життя. Методи. У дослідженні застосовано методи спостереження, бесіду, анкетування, методи аналізу документів та експертних оцінок, стандартизовані та проєктивні методи дослідження, за допомогою яких визначено особливості тривожних та депресивних кластерів афективних розладів особистості зрілого віку в період криз. Результати. Обґрунтовано, що детермінантами прояву зазначеного спектру афективних розладів є як інтенсивність переживання кри­зо­вих періодів життя в зрілому віці, так і наявність певних особистісних диспозицій; а їх виникненню і розвитку сприяють соціально-психологічні чинники макро-, мезо- та мікрорівня. Встановлено, що актуа­лізація тривожного кластеру афективних розладів у осіб зрілого віку в кризові періоди життя повʼязана з незадоволенням потреби безпеки і саморозвитку, психастенічною та астеноневротичною акцен­­туаціями характеру, такими особистісними рисами, як тривожність, нерішучість, консерватизм, низький рівень соціальної активності та соціальної адаптованості, комунікативні дисфункції у вигляді різних форм індукування негативних емоцій і труднощів їх переробки тощо. У порівнянні з ними, досліджуваним з депресивним кластером афективних розладів були притаманні низький рівень соціальної підтримки та обмежена соціальна мережа підтримки, високий рівень емоційного неблагополуччя, суїцидальна спрямо­ваність і стресогенність життєвих подій. Предикторами їх емоційного неблагополуччя і високого рівня психологічного стресу виступали як дисфункції соціальної мережі, перш за все, зниження числа довірчих звʼязків і симетричності у взаєминах з оточуючими щодо надання соціальної підтримки і низький рівень соціальної інтеграції, так і сімейні дисфункції, зокрема виражена фіксація на негативних пере­живаннях. Актуалізація тривожного та депресивного спектру афективних розладів не передбачає облігативність усіх вказаних складових, проте зі збільшенням їх кількості підвищується ймовірність виникнення та розвитку зазначених розладів, що може згодом закріплюватися на рівні стійких особистісних диспозицій. Ключові слова: особистість зрілого віку, кризові періоди життя, емоційні розлади.

Background Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are still poorly understood and difficult to treat. Attachment theory could add new aspects to the understanding of the multifactorial genesis and maintenance of PNES and the therapeutic needs of this patient group. Objective The aim of the present study is to systematically assess attachment in adult patients with PNES with a focus on the role of unresolved/disorganized attachment. Methods A cross-sectional design was chosen to compare patients with confirmed PNES (n = 44) and healthy controls (n = 44) matched for gender, age, and education. Attachment was assessed using the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System. Psychometric questionnaires included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) axis II disorders, Patient Questionnaire; the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire; and the Patient Health Questionnaire. Results We found significantly less secure (P = 0.006) and more unresolved/disorganized (P = 0.041) attachment classifications in the PNES group. Among patients with PNES, 7% were classified secure and 43% were classified unresolved/disorganized. Patients with an unresolved attachment representation were significantly more likely to be screened positive for personality pathology in the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis II disorders, Patient Questionnaire (P = 0.03) and to report more emotional abuse in the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (P = 0.007) than patients with other attachment classifications. Conclusions Our findings suggest that unresolved/disorganized attachment might be the predominant attachment style in patients with PNES and might be associated with more severe personality pathology. This could be of therapeutic relevance. The present study is the first to assess adult attachment in patients with PNES using a semi-structured interview in comparison to matched healthy controls.

a violin seen in a dream promises: something will touch the stringsof your soul and will find a response in your heart.-Astrological saying Music is highly evocative. At times melodies can trigger ...

Mothers of newborns with central nervous system pathology tend to experience more severe psychological distress and difficulty in forming a favourable relationship to their child than mothers of healthy infants. To provide psychological assistance, there is a need to better understand the features of the experience that parents find stressful and which ones are positive, in order to cope with stress. The objective of the research was to study mothers’ emotional experience during the hospitalization of newborns with hypoxic affection of the central nervous system (CNS). The research included 40 women admitted together with their children to the newborn pathology department: 22 mothers of full-term infants with hypoxic-ischemic injury (grade II and III), 18 mothers of preterm infants (29–34 weeks) with hypoxic-ischemic injury (grade II and III), intraventricular hemorrhage (grade II and III), and combined ischemic and hemorrhagic damage. Women responded to the questions of the original clinical-psychological interview and the data was processed qualitatively and quantitatively. The article describes the factors and content of negative and positive emotions of mothers in the period of hospitalization. The data on the contradictory nature of mothers’ reports of their feelings is presented: answers to direct questions are chiefly of a positive or ambivalent emotional background, while answers to projective questions primarily reflect a negative emotional background. It is shown that with a combination of prematurity and hypoxic affection of the child’s CNS, women have a more negative emotional background than that of the respondents who had delivered a full-term child. Conclusions are made about the effect of attitude on a “socially desirable” response during the description of the emotional experience, about less favorable emotional experience of mothers who delivered children prematurely with the pathology of the CNS.

Background: Rorschach test has been considered a well-known and most widely used projective test for the assessment of personality and diagnostic evaluation in various psychiatric disorders. Schizophrenia is considered to be the major psychiatric illness characterized by gross distortion of reality, the disorganization and fragmentation of perception, thought, emotion, and withdrawal from social interaction. Rorschach provides both specific and general knowledge about the different areas of personality functioning, such as coping style, emotions, managing stress, mediation, ideation, self-perception, and interpersonal relationships along with correlating with the psychopathology of the schizophrenia patients. Aim: The aim of the present study is to assess the relationship between Rorschach response pattern different symptoms in schizophrenia patients. Methodology: After having informed consent, 100 patients of schizophrenia group were included as per the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision Diagnostic Criteria for Research (ICD-10 DCR) criteria. Information about sociodemographic data and clinical details was collected using the sociodemographic and clinical data sheet from the drawn sample. For the assessment of symptoms of schizophrenia patients, Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptom and Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptom have been used. After that Rorschach test was administered individually to all the participants to assess the personality structure of each schizophrenia patients. Results: The results showed that there is a significant positive and negative correlation among positive, negative schizophrenia symptoms, and different Rorschach variables. Conclusion: Schizophrenia patients having positive and negative symptoms would be giving Rorschach variables indicative of moderate level of cognitive distortions, poorly controlled and disorganized affect, less conventional form of responses, poor perception and loss with reality, poor interpersonal relationships, presence of anxiety, and aggression.

Background: Few researches have been made in sub-Saharan Africa to evaluate psychosocial impact of child trafficking. The current study’s objective is to examine the psychological impact of child trafficking on children victims of traffic and their families.Methods: It is a cross-sectional study across the whole Togo territory over 24 children returned from trafficking and the members of their families. The clinical interview and the projective test (Patte Noire) were used to collect the data with well detailed case studies.Results: The traffic of children brought psychological disorders, depressive reaction and post-traumatic stress amongst most of the children’s who were rescued or taken out of the traffic. Members of the family developed depressive reactions and self-guilt symptoms. The lack of adequate structures for an adapted follow up of the children’s returning from the traffic has been noted. Conclusions: Our results confirm previous works realized in other sociocultural contexts and suggest that a better support of children’s in specialized centers by psychologists, social workers or other specialized personnel would be best. Future longitudinal studies on a greater sample, in sub-Saharan Africa to assess the long term consequences of child trafficking over the whole family would be justified.

Recognizing depression among older persons is often challenging as they tend to attribute their problems to physical rather than emotional origins. The association between socio-economic factors and depression among 384 older persons was determined through descriptive-correlational design. Path analysis revealed that depression is influenced directly by one’s age (r = .108), education status (r = .514), marital status (r = .011), occupation (r = .003), social status (r = −.116), physical stature (r = .099) and economic status (r = .011). Additionally, the type of community where the older persons dwell and gender have a direct influence on occupation (r = .003) and indirectly affecting depression (r = .103). On the other hand, family component has a direct influence on social status (r = .069) but indirectly influences the occurrence of depression (r = .127). Explicitly, these variables render a predictive path on the occurrence or non-occurrence of depression among the respondents. The study suggests that the diagnosis of depression and its prompt interventions can be traced to the socio-economic dimensions of older persons. Implications to research suggest that determining the antecedents to depression of older persons, this provides a projective analysis which can lead to the development of new knowledge in nursing. This will further influence the holistic management in dealing with an older person’s depression.

Abstract. Over the years, projective tests lost their power and became the target of criticism. The methods were old, not supported by any powerful evidence, and were ridiculed in cartoons, movies, and popular media. It is difficult for clinicians to deal with these criticisms. A difficulty often heard among clinicians who are proficient in personality assessment is how to cope with skepticism and preconceptions in the use of projective methods. Working in a forensic setting and a residential setting for people with severe personality disorders challenged us on how to implement the Rorschach in our daily work as assessors, teachers, and supervisors. In this article we describe our journey in trying to work collaboratively with our clients, management staff, colleagues, and students in the use of projective methods. Although research overall shows that multimethod assessment is the gold standard, daily practice shows differently. The use of semi-structured self-report methods seems to be more popular, and these are perceived as more evidence-based. We compare the implementation of the Rorschach in an evidence-based setting with the implementation of a new therapeutic model from a heuristic point of view ( Hutsebaut et al., 2012 ).

INTRODUCTION: Assessment of child’s anxiety is important in order to determine the success of dental treatment. Drawing, a nonverbal, self-report, projective and non-invasive technique may prove be helpful and needs to be explored in order to access anxiety in children requiring dental treatment. AIM: To investigate the applicability of children’s drawings as an indicator to measure their level of anxiety. MATERIALS & METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a total of hundred children between age group of 4-6 years. Children were asked to draw dental operatory on A4 sheet and colour it with basic set of 12 colours. The drawing was scored using Child Drawing: Hospital (projective scale) scale and the results were compared with pulse oximeter readings (physiological parameter) and Venham Picture Test scorings. RESULTS: Child Drawing: Hospital scale scoring had a positive correlation with pulse oximeter reading (involuntary) (p-value = 0.125) and a negative correlation with Venham picture test (p-value = 0.140). CONCLUSION: Drawing may be statistically significant projective tool significant to assess child anxiety in dental setting.

The author describes an act of forgetfulness and considers its effects on the therapy with a patient. The enactment represents an opportunity for the therapist to unveil an unconscious aggressive a...

Abstract. This article illustrates the 4-month follow-up projective case study of John, a 16-year-old boy hospitalized for below-threshold psychotic symptoms. Emphasizing the relevance of a psychodynamic approach to emerging psychosis, the authors briefly describe the psychoanalytical framework of the adolescent process theory as well as the French School projective method. The aim of the study is to show that this method of assessment does not fall into the criticized standpoints of naïve complacency or of excessive zealotry against early detection and intervention. On the contrary, the complementary use of both the Rorschach and the Thematic Apperception Test, alongside clinical interviews, was valuable in uncovering the complex heterogeneity of adolescent functioning. Results revealed core psychotic impairments of self-representation and thought processes as well as non-negligible psychological changes and transformation, which allowed for engagement in therapeutic treatments and reinforced a more positive prognostic outcome. Limitations regarding the short-term interval and the qualitative analysis of discrepancies are discussed.

Medication nonadherence is prevalent among patients with chronic diseases. Previous research focused on patients’ beliefs in medication or illness and applied risk-benefit analyses when reasoning their behavior. This qualitative study examined rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients’ perceptions and feelings toward medication in parallel with attitudes about their own adherence. We conducted four 90-min focus groups and seven 60-min interviews with a diverse sample of RA patients (n = 27). Discussions covered dilemmas encountered, emotions, and thought process concerning medication, and included application of projective techniques. Transcripts were analyzed in NVivo-12 using a thematic coding framework through multiple rounds of deduction and categorization. Three themes emerged, each with mixed sentiments. (1) Ambivalent feelings toward medication: participants experienced internal conflicts as their appreciation of drugs for relief contradicted worries about side effects or “toxicity” and desire to not identify as sick, portraying medications as “best friend” and “evil”. (2) Struggles in taking medication: participants “hated” the burden of managing regimen and resented the reliance and embarrassment. (3) Attitudes and behavior around adherence: most participants self-reported high adherence yet also described frequently self-adjusting medications, displaying perception-action incongruency. Some expressed nervousness and resistance while others felt empowered when modifying dosage, which might have motivated or helped them self-justify nonadherence. Only a few who deviated from prescription discussed it with their clinicians though most participants expressed the desire to do so, open communication with providers reinforced a sense of confidence and control of their own health. Promoting personalized care with shared decision-making that empowers and supports patients in managing their long-term treatment could encourage adherence and improve overall health outcome.

Child sexual violence can cause serious damage to the psychosocial development of its victims. Assessments in this context require the use of several psychological tests with proven validity for this purpose. This study aimed to assess children victims of sexual violence using the Zulliger R-Optimized application. The sample consisted of 37 children of both sexes, aged from seven to 13 years old (M = 10.92), distributed in three groups: Sexual Violence Victims (SVV), Cancer Patients (CP) and the Non-Victim Group (NVG). The statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whiney and one-way ANOVA tests. The Zulliger variables concerning the clusters Interpersonal Relationship (GHR, PHR, GHR:PHR, p), Self-Image (MOR) and Processing (W:M) showed statistical differences when the SVV group was compared to the other groups. The Zulliger R-Optimized application shows promising results in assessing SVV children, indicating its usefulness for assessments in this context. Resumo A violência sexual infantil pode gerar graves prejuízos para o desenvolvimento psicossocial de suas vítimas. As avaliações nesse contexto requerem o uso de vários testes psicológicos que possuem evidências de validade para este fim. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar crianças vítimas de violência sexual com o Zulliger aplicação R-Otimizada. A amostra consistiu em 37 crianças com idade entre 7 e 13 anos (M = 10,92), de ambos os sexos, distribuídas em três grupos: Vítimas de Violência Sexual (VVS), Pacientes com Câncer (PC) e Grupo de Não-Vítimas (GNV). Realizou-se tratamento estatístico por meio dos testes Mann-Whiney e Anova de uma via. Variáveis do Zulliger concernentes aos agrupamentos de Relacionamento Interpessoal (GHR, PHR, GHR:PHR, p), Autoimagem (MOR) e Processamento (W:M) apresentaram diferenças estatísticas quando o grupo VVS foi comparado aos outros grupos. O Zulliger aplicação R-Otimizada apresenta resultados promissores na avaliação de crianças VVS, indicando sua utilidade em avaliações desse contexto. Resumen La violencia sexual infantil puede causar daños al desarrollo psicosocial de las víctimas. Evaluaciones en este contexto requieren uso de exámenes psicológicos que tienen evidencia de validez para este propósito. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar niños víctimas de violencia sexual con lo Zulliger aplicación R-Optimizada. La muestra consistió en 37 niños de 7 a 13 años (M = 10.92), ambos sexos, distribuidos en tres grupos: Víctimas de Violencia Sexual (VVS), Pacientes con Cáncer (PC) y Grupo de No-Víctimas (GNV). El tratamiento estadístico se realizó utilizando las pruebas de Mann-Whiney y Anova de una vía. Variables de Zulliger para las agrupaciones de Relaciones Interpersonales (GHR, PHR, GHR:PHR, p), Autoimagen (MOR) y Procesamiento (W:M) mostraron diferencias estadísticas cuando el grupo VVS se comparó con los otros grupos. Zulliger aplicación R-Optimizada muestra resultados prometedores en la evaluación de niños VVS que indican su usabilidad en las evaluaciones en este contexto.

Aim. The aim of the paper was to study the specifics of diagnosing disorders of social and emotional intelligence of patients with schizophrenia at an early stage of the disease (mainly by projective methods) and to determine, thanks to the diagnosis, the targets of psychocorrectional effects. Methods. 64 people were studied (40 men and 24 women, average age 28 years). The experimental group included patients with a verified diagnosis of schizophrenia (F20) at an early stage of the disease (33 people, 21 men and 12 women) aged 16 to 37 years (average age 29 years), the control group of a similar age and gender structure mentally healthy persons (31 people, 19 men and 12 women, average age 28 years). As research methods the following tests were used: (1) Methodology G. Rorschachs Ink Spot Test (The Rorschach Inkblot Test, 1921); (2) Test Understanding the mental state of the eyes Reading the mind in the Eyes (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) a modified version of E.E. Rumyantseva (2016); (3) Test Social Intelligence by J. Guildford, M. Sulliven (adaptation by E.S. Mikhailova, 1996); (4) Methodology Emotional Intelligence by J. Mayer, P. Salovei and D. Caruso (MSCEIT V2.0, 2014); (5) Test of emotional intelligence of Lucin (EmIn); (6) Hall emotional intelligence test. Data Processing Methods: John Exner Integrative System (Exner, 1997, 2003). Results. It was found that patients with schizophrenia, even at an early stage of the course of the disease, are worse at solving problems to assess the success of social functioning. Conclusions. The most significant and reliable differences (reliable by the U-criterion, at p 0.001) are found when schizophrenic patients perform tasks related to the characteristics of perception and analysis not so much of the social stimuli themselves, as by their nuancing. The structure of violations of social functioning is also dominated by difficulties in predicting both their further actions and the interlocutor. Determined by the decrease in general social incompetence is the practically reduced possibility of using emotions and their manifestations in solving social problems.

Abstract. The Attachment Pictures Story (APS) is an adaptation of the Patte Noire thematic projective test to evaluate internal representations of attachment in adolescents. It consists in analyzing the responses to the stories in seven selected pictures, which elicit attachment experiences. The purpose of this study is to describe the development and verification of the reliability and validity parameters of the APS based on a sample of 77 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years ( M = 14.71; SD = 2.07) who were enrolled in schools in Spain. The results show evidence of the instrument’s psychometric properties. Satisfactory content validity through inter-rater agreement of four experts for pictures and items as well as suitable reliability indexes were found. The exploratory factory analysis confirms the five pre-established categories based on theory (secure/insecure avoidant, insecure fearful, insecure resistant, and unresolved). The APS appears to be a psychometrically suitable instrument for evaluating attachment patterns in adolescents in a quantitative and qualitative way. Having a specific projective test that helps us understand adolescents may be useful in facilitating the expression of early and sometimes adverse attachment relationships, which are difficult to externalize.

Psychiatric morbidity is high in children with unexplained chronic pain and thus needs to be assessed and treated. Unexplained pain symbolizes emotional distress and conflicts in children. The most common somatic symptoms are headache, abdominal pain, and musculoskeletal symptoms. Aim: The aim of this case series is to qualitatively analyze the responses obtained on projective tests and intervention strategies employed in children with unexplained pain symptoms. Materials and Methods: Our cases included a total of 12 children and adolescents who were referred to us from the pediatric department for complaints of unexplained pain symptoms for a period of at least 6 months. The investigations done for these children were reportedly normal. After the initial rapport and initial intake, the children underwent projective testing. The projective tests used were Children apperception test, Thematic Apperception Test and Sentence Completion test. Results: The findings observed were conflict with primary caregivers, over-involvement and overly critical parents, sibling rivalry and intrapersonal conflicts. Intervention strategies primarily focused on psychoeducation, addressing secondary gain, parents session to address their relationship with the child and cognitive behavioral strategies as applicable to the case. Conclusion: Children with unexplained pain symptoms require detailed history taking and psychological evaluation. Projective tests facilitate conflict identification and early intervention to address psychological factors. Keywords: Projective test, Uexplained pain symptoms, Management.

Background: Attachment theory proposes that humans develop representations of self and other in early childhood which are relatively stable across the life-course, and play a key role in psychological adaptation. However, to date, the psychometric properties of attachment measures in middle childhood and adolescence have not been evaluated in a systematic review.Method: A systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42017057772) was conducted using COSMIN criteria. Two researchers independently searched MEDLINE, PsychINFO and Embase databases for relevant articles. Results: Fifty-four studies were included in the review. The methodological quality of studies was typically fair or poor, with only a smaller number of studies being rated as of good or excellent quality. The measurement properties of attachment measures in this age group were frequently rated as inadequate according to COSMIN criteria. The Child Attachment Interview (CAI) has the best psychometric properties of the interview and projective measures, and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) the best evidence of the self-report measures. Overall, the evidence for the CAI and IPPA included both positive and negative findings relating to adequacy of measurement properties.Conclusions: Attachment measures in middle childhood and adolescence currently have limited evidence for the adequacy of their psychometric properties.

Graduate counseling programs are currently utilizing both individual and group supervision formats so that supervisees (i.e., counselors-in-training) and supervisors (i.e., counselor educators) hav...

Background Overadaptation, the behavior of individuals who follow the expectations of others as perfectly as possible, is often observed and related to maladjustment, school refusal, and physical symptoms; however, no method has been proposed yet to assess the overadaptive tendency. This study evaluated the efficacy of the draw-a-man test as a projective measure of overadaptation in community children. Methods Eighty children (36 boys, 44 girls) aged 6-8 years were assessed for their ability to draw a man using the Goodenough Draw-A-Man Test (DAM test). Class teachers were asked to assess whether the child was overadapting. The total and subscale DAM scores and pass rates were compared between children with a teacher-assessed tendency for overadaptation and control children, separately for girls and boys. Results The mean total DAM score was significantly higher for girls versus boys for both the overadapting children and controls. For boys, no significant differences on the total and subscale DAM scores were noted between the overadapting boys and controls. Conversely, for girls, total and three subscale DAM scores (Mouth/Nose/Ears, Hairs, Fingers) were significantly higher in the overadapting girls versus controls. Moreover, for girls, the DAM pass rates on five items (ratio of head; ears present; position and shape of nose; depiction of hair, not to see the scalp; details of fingers) were higher in the overadapting girls versus controls. Conclusions The DAM test could extract the overadaptive tendencies of girls aged 6-8 years.

This article analyses group processes in adolescence through therapeutic group interventions. The authors propose to analyse the group aspect, cross-identifications and projective identifications of the adolescent subjectivation process. In which ways does the adolescent subjectivation process need to go through a process of intersubjectivation? This involves a consideration of observable intersubjectivity in a therapeutic group with troubled adolescents. After redefining the notion of subjectivation process and its various manifestations in adolescent psychopathology, the authors further analyse the complex implications of this notion, from the point of view of object cathexes and of links to others. The task is to establish a metapsychology of links to introduce therapeutic psychoanalytic groups into psychic dynamics: in particular, the authors discuss the methodology of theatre-mediated therapeutic psychoanalytic groups, from which the clinical vignette discussed is taken. A case study of a group of adolescents discovers the haphazardness of the link to the other, as a cornerstone towards reinitializing the process of subjectivation that has been hindered in members of the group, and as a way of resuming self-reflectiveness and the reimagining of the self.

Grotstein's concept of projective transidentification led the author to reconsider the reasons that have led to the plurality of psychoanalytic models. The solution proposed is the existence of a fundamental frontal-occipital oscillatory dynamic, responsible for the projective-introjective dynamic that is at the basis of psychoanalytic theory and, at the same time, of the development and maintenance of mother-infant attunement. Such an oscillatory dynamic, according to this perspective, operates as a "bridge" between two seminal theoretical models of development - the psychoanalytic and the infant research model. A set of neurological hypotheses regarding how maternal interaction may act to modify the infant's projective-introjective dynamic and general brain development is proposed. The different possible modifications of this dynamic offer an explanation of the variety and complexity of psychoanalytic models and the opportunity for a unitary approach, both clinical and theoretical. Given that it is considered to be the basis for cerebral activity, the oscillatory dynamic appears intrinsically connected with the default mode network's functions of Self-cohesiveness and environmental monitoring, suggesting an important interface between psychoanalysis and the neurosciences.

Today the importance of working through the analyst's countertransference is stressed throughout all different schools of psychoanalysis. This article aims to make the microprocesses more transparent regarding the transformations of transference and countertransference, from the beginning of the anchoring of a projection in the analyst up to the re-internalization of a transformed projection in the patient. This is introduced by a survey of the history of two central terms: Projective Identification (on the side of the patient) and Countertransference (coming from the side of the analyst). How the analyst is also a "do-er" and how this fits in with the projective identifications of the patient is a newer development in psychoanalysis and is the main subject of this paper. Alongside the clinical material shown is described what the patient triggers in the analyst with his projections, and how the analyst manages to work through his countertransference where the patient becomes a temporary object, connecting with objects of the analyst until-if all goes well-the analyst manages to transform the projection of the patient while "triangulating with his inner understanding parents".

In this study, we had three aims: (a) to investigate whether child maltreatment facilitates the onset of internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS); (b) to explore through a standardized projective technique whether the image of the self in maltreated children is related to more inadequate personal resources and more archaic defense mechanisms; (c) to verify the relationship between the presence of internalizing problems, externalizing problems, PTSS, and the key elements of drawings by maltreated children. The study involved 94 children (39 maltreated children and 55 non-maltreated children) aged between 5 and 13 years. We investigated internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems using the Child behavior Check List 4–18, and we investigated PTSS using the Parent Report of Post-Traumatic Symptoms. We used the Draw-a-Child-in-the-Rain activity to investigate mental representations of the self and children’s defense mechanisms. Results indicated a higher rate of internalizing and externalizing problems and of PTSS in maltreated children. Graphic representations by maltreated children differ from those by non-maltreated children in the use of color, amount of detail, and the depiction of an umbrella. Drawings seem to be valid aids for expanding knowledge of the representation of self and the psychological functioning of the child.

Resumen Antecedentes las enfermedades del sistema endocrino pueden afectar la sexualidad por sus efectos hormonales, las comorbilidades asociadas y su impacto psicosocial, tema poco estudiado desde las perspectivas de personas con estas enfermedades. Objetivos: se realizó un estudio cualitativo dirigido a comprender las experiencias sexuales de mujeres y varones con enfermedades endocrinas que producen cambios en la apariencia física. Método: se estructuró un diseño de estudio analítico-interpretativo. Participaron 68 personas entre 20 y 45 años de edad, atendidos en el Instituto Nacional de Endocrinología, La Habana, Cuba. Los instrumentos de recolección de la información utilizados fueron una planilla de datos generales, una guía de entrevista en profundidad y dos pruebas psicológicas proyectivas. Los aspectos éticos fueron considerados. Resultados: de las entrevistas en profundidad, emergieron 4 temas: 1) la expresión multidimensional de la enfermedad, 2) enfermedad y áreas de vida, 3) ejercicio de la sexualidad con la enfermedad, y 4) estrategias de afrontamiento en el área sexual; vinculados con los significados expresados sobre la salud, el cuerpo, el género y la sexualidad. Conclusiones: las/los participantes contextualizaron sus experiencias sexuales en el impacto biopsicosocial de la enfermedad. La reproducción o cuestionamiento de los significados expresados influyó en la calidad de sus experiencias sexuales. El estudio mostró que esta constituye un área de vulnerabilidad para la salud integral de las/los participantes. Abstract Background endocrine disorders may affect sexuality due to hormonal changes, associated comorbidities and psychosocial impact. This topic remains poorly researched from the perspective of people with these conditions. Objectives: a qualitative research was conducted to understand the sexual experiences of women and men living with endocrine disorders that change their physical appearance. Methods: an analytical-interpretive study was carried out with a sample of 68 participants aged between 20 and 45, and treated at the National Institute of Endocrinology, Havana, Cuba. Data collection instruments were a personal information sheet, an in-depth interview guide and two projective psychological tests. Ethical aspects were considered. Results: in-depth interviews gave rise to four topics: 1) multidimensional expression of the disease, 2) the disease and life areas, 3) sexuality with the disease, and 4) coping strategies in the sexual area. These topics were linked to the meanings of health, body, gender and sexuality. Conclusions: the participants contextualized their sexual experiences within the biopsychosocial impact of the endocrine disorder, as well as the reproduction or questioning of the meanings that influenced the quality of their sexual experiences. The study showed that sexuality is a vulnerable area for the participants’ comprehensive health.

BackgroundThis study aims to design and validate ten projective images ofYoung’s Early Maladaptive Schema(EMS) domains. For this purpose, two questions are to be addressed. (1) How is the factorial structure of the projective images of EMS domains? (2) Do the images designed in the domains of disconnection and rejection, impaired autonomy and performance, impaired limits, other-directedness, and over-vigilance and inhibition have sufficient validity?MethodsThis is an applied mixed-methods exploratory study, in which the statistical population consisted of psychologists from Tehran Province in the qualitative section (n = 8) as well as other individuals aged between 18 and 65 years (mean age = 33) from Qazvin in the quantitative section (n = 102) in 2018. The research questions were analyzed through principal axis factoring with a varimax rotation, confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Cronbach’s alpha.ResultsAccording to the results, ten images and five domains of Young’s EMSs contribute to a simple structure. Accounting for 70.35% of the total variance of EMSs, the five dimensions include disconnection and rejection, impaired autonomy and performance, impaired limits, other-directedness, and over-vigilance and inhibition.ConclusionsThe results indicated that the designed projective images yielded acceptable construct validity.

Objective: Mental health professionals frequently classify children's attachment style using a combination of the parent/caregiver interview, an interview with the child, the interviewer's clinical impressions, and at times, the child's responses to projective tests not aimed at eliciting attachment specific information. However, no studies have been conducted on the validity or reliability of attachment classifications based on developmental histories. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of history-based attachment classifications. Method: Attachment classifications based on intake interviews, administered to 35 eight to twelve-year- old children and their caregivers attending an outpatient mental clinic service in a government hospital in Johannesburg, were compared to classifications obtained through the Attachment Story Completion Test (ASCT). The level of agreement between rates and across assessment measures was analysed. Results: The association between ASCT and history-based attachment classifications was poor. Conclusion: The possible misclassification of children's attachment styles according to histories has implications for both diagnosis and treatment.

To assess the formation of positive personality phenomena in patients with mild cognitive impairment and asthenic syndrome during the treatment with recognan (citicoline).Thirty-eight patients (17 men and 21 women), aged 18 to 45 years (mean age 27.8±12.1 years), with asthenic syndrome with mild cognitive impairment (ICD-10 F06.7) were examined. Patients were divided into two groups: 20 people in the main group and 18 people in the comparison group. The main group received recognan (orally, in solution, 100 mg in 1 ml) for 30 days, the daily dosage of the drug was 0.5 g (5 ml solution). The comparison group did not receive any medications. Adapted methods of positive personality psychology were used: the Fordyce Emotions Questionnaire, the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), the Adult Hope Scale (AHS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), M. Atkinson's Scale of Emotional Maturity, the projective technique 'Map of experiences'. The follow-up period was 30 days. All subjects were examined three times (at baseline, 15 and 30 days after treatment).After a month of treatment with recognan, there was an improvement of positive personality traits and a significant decrease in negative experiences, indicating the positive impact of the drug on the formation of positive personality manifestations and compensation for emotional disorders in patients with mild cognitive impairment and asthenic syndrome.Цель исследования. Оценка особенностей формирования позитивных личностных феноменов у пациентов с легкими когнитивными нарушениями и астеническим синдромом, а также их динамики в процессе использования препарата Рекогнан (цитиколин). Материал и методы. Обследовали 38 пациентов,17 мужчин и 21 женщину, в возрасте от 18 до 45 лет (средний возраст 27,8±12,1 года), у которых диагностирован астенический синдром с легкими когнитивными расстройствами (рубрика F06.7 по МКБ-10). Больные были разделены на две группы: 20 человек в основной группе и 18 человек в группе сравнения. Основная группа получала лечение препаратом Рекогнан (перорально, в растворе, 100 мг в 1 мл) в течение 30 дней, суточная дозировка препарата составляла 0,5 г (5 мл раствора). В группе сравнения лекарственную терапию не проводили. Для оценки состояния больных и личностных изменений применяли следующие психологические тесты и шкалы: 'Эмоциональный тест Фордайса', 'Шкала субъективного счастья', 'Шкала надежды', 'Шкала эмоциональной зрелости М. Аткинсона', 'Шкала удовлетворенности жизнью', проективная методика 'Карта переживаний'. Период наблюдения составил 30 дней. Все испытуемые были обследованы 3 раза (до начала исследования, на 15-й и 30-й дни). Результаты и заключение. После месячного курса лечения Рекогнаном отмечено улучшение показателей по шкалам, направленным на оценку позитивных изменений личности, а также достоверное уменьшение негативных переживаний, что свидетельствовало о положительном влиянии препарата на формирование у больных с легкими когнитивными нарушениями при астеническом синдроме позитивных личностных проявлений и компенсацию эмоциональных нарушений.

The article presents the results of the study of the personal socio-psychological features in the bailiff service officers. The study involved 675 bailiff executors, 410 men (60.7%) and 265 women (39.3%) aged 21 to 59 years. In our study, we used a number of diagnosis tools, such as MMPI - a multifactorial questionnaire for the personality study, Brief Indicative Selection Test developed by V.N. Buzin and E.F. Wonderlic, K. Leonhard - N. Shmishek diagnostic test to determine character accentuations, the projective technique "House-Tree-Person" by J. Book, as well as observations and interviews. Our study revealed mean indicators of intellectual development level related to the range of values "above average", absence of pronounced character accentuations with a tendency to hypertension and demonstrativeness and risks of a tendency to depression and rigidity. The analysis showed the relationship of certain characteristics to the subjects’ age and gender. Factor analysis identified the major social and psychological personality traits of bailiffs which are the most significant for their professional activities. The study results can be used for professional psychological selection of bailiff service officers, their psychological support and the development of techniques in order to prevent burnout syndrome and professional deformation.

Although tattoos have been historically characteristic of criminals and drug addicts therefore carrying negative associations, it is now an accepted and appreciated form of body modification. Tattoos could be considered as a projective psychological test, most people use their body as blackboard to represent the most varied meanings related to the way they perceive themselves. It is also true that tattoos can assume the role of diagnostic indicators for a possible abuse of psychoactive substances, as well as their aggregating and communicative functions within the group of drug addicts. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relation among personality traits, self-efficacy, locus of control and motivations for tattooing. The sample consisted of 150 subjects, 50 tattooed adults, 50 tattooed drug addicted adults, and 50 non-tattooed adults. Data were collected by using the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ), the Perceived Self- efficacy Test, the Mini Locus of Control scale and a Tattoos Inventory. Results of the present study contribute to a deeper understanding of the new meaning of tattoos, they no longer represent personality traits, they rather have the function of reinforcing beliefs about how to perceive oneself, this happens especially in drug addicts in which the presence of tattoos reinforces the illusory belief of self-esteem and internal locus of control. Given the rising presence of tattoos today, this could be useful to get a better understanding of the existential unease of certain populations.

The Draw-a-Person (DAP) test is a projective tool particularly suitable for understanding intellectual development, emotional dimensions and personality traits in children. The present study seeks to examine the relationship between trait Emotional Intelligence (EI) and DAP emotional indicators accounting for gender interaction in a sample of Italian primary school-aged children (8–9 years of age). Participants were asked to complete the child version of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue-CF) and the DAP test. Results showed that: a) both genders had the same score on trait EI but females had a significantly higher score on the levels of emotional indicators than males, and b) trait EI significantly moderated the effects of gender on the DAP scores. Specifically, females showed higher levels of emotional indicators than their male counterparts for DAP only at high trait EI levels. The implications of these results for clinical assessment and future directions for research are discussed.

Many studies have shown connections between perfectionism, motivation, and anxiety disorders (AD), as well as essential hypertension (EH). The objective of this study is to examine the connections between motivation and the structure of perfectionism in AD patients and EH patients compared to healthy individuals. Projective and semi-projective tests (thematic apperception test (TAT) of Heckhausen, Multi-Motive Grid) were used to measure motivation, while a perfectionism questionnaire by Hewitt and Flett was used to determine perfectionism levels. The participants were 21 AD patients, 21 EH patients, and 33 healthy individuals. EH patients show higher level of other-oriented perfectionism, and AD patients demonstrate increased levels of self-oriented perfectionism compared to the healthy group. Both groups of patients are motivated by fear of failure rather than hope for success, and they also demonstrate an increased fear of rejection. AD patients have an increased fear of power of other people. In EH patients, the fear of power seems to play a significant role as it correlates with many other variables. In EH patients, the other-oriented perfectionism is connected to achievement motivation, whereas in AD patients the same is true for socially prescribed perfectionism. Overall, studying motivation and perfectionism in relation to various disorders seems to offer research prospects.

International audience; A number of studies have analyzed the bullying phenomenon among adolescent victims. Relatively few studies, however, have specifically addressed the associated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our clinical practice and therapeutic encounters with adolescents reveal that the majority of bullied adolescents suffer from high levels of PTSD. The objective of this study is to further explore bullied adolescents’ traumatic experiences. In an attempt to analyze these experiences, this article presents a mixed-methods approach. Such an approach will allow to analyze the PTSD that results from bullying as well as subjects’ psychic and family-relevant vulnerabilities. First, bullying will be defined in the context of adolescence. Then the main studies on bullying will be presented. The objectives, tools and methods of analysis will be presented. The interviews will be analyzed according to the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method. Projective tools, family drawings, Rorschach and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), will be analyzed using a psychoanalytic interpretation method. Each qualitative tool will be used alongside a validated quantitative tool. The Clinical Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-CA-5 questionnaire) and the interviews conducted will thus allow to analyze PTSD and traumatic experiences. The Family Assessment Device (FAD) and the family drawing test will enable to assess family functioning; lastly, the Symptom Check List (SCL-90) that will be used alongside Rorschach and TAT tests will allow to analyze individual psychological vulnerabilities. This approach will increase data validity. The originality of this research study is based on a mixed-methods approach, our methodology which is based on clinical psychology, and the choice of certain research tools which have received little attention to date. Ultimately, this study may help improve how bullying is identified and could contribute toward the reinforcement or revision of the criteria that characterize bullying. Lastly, it may help us explore various unexamined dimensions of bullying. A possible limitation is the complexity associated with such a protocol.

В работе представлены данные психологического тестирования группы лиц с химическими зависимостями (наркомания, алкоголизм, N=117), находящихся на реабилитации по программе «12 Шагов» на базе реабилитационного центра «Ступени» (Одесса), в сравнении со здоровыми добровольцами (N=117). Использованы психометрический тест личности на основе пятифакторной модели «Большая пятерка» (NEO-PIR) и проективный тест Бука «Дом – дерево – человек» (ДДЧ) с балльной оценкой 10 симптомокомплексов. Аддикты по NEO-PIR достоверно отличались от контрольной группы повышенным уровнем нейротизма и экстрaверсии и сниженными баллами дружелюбия (сотрудничества) и сознательности (добросовестности или чувства долга). Использование теста ДДЧ позволило выявить у пациентов повышенную конфликтность, негативизм, тревожность и недоверие к себе. При корреляционном анализе установлено, что структура взаимосвязей между психометрическими показателями и результатами проективного теста в сравниваемых группах существенно различается: у аддиктов показатели осознаваемого и неосознаваемого уровней психики более тесно скоррелированы, а основными «центрами» взаимосвязей являются конфликтность и агрессивность из сферы подсознательного и нейротизм из сферы осознаваемого. Выявлено, что наличие аддикции модерирует некоторые взаимосвязи между психологическими показателями разного уровня, так, присущая здоровым лицам прямая корреляция между депрессивностью и скромностью у аддиктов сменяется обратной, а обратная связь между поиском впечатлений и тревожностью сменяется прямой. Полученные данные могут быть использованы при психологической коррекции и психотерапии лиц с зависимостями., The paper presents the data of psychological testing of a group of people with chemical addictions (drug addiction, alcoholism, N=101), who were involved in the 12 Steps Program, in comparison with healthy volunteers (N=117). the psychometric personality test based on the Big Five five-factor model (NEO-PIR) and the Buck’s house-tree-Person (htP) projective test with the scoring system of 10 parameters were used. In addicts, a significantly higher level of Neuroticism and Extraversion and lower scores of Friendliness (cooperation) and Conscientiousness (sense of duty) were revealed. the use of the DDh test let to identify higher Proneness to Conflicts, Negativism, anxiety, and Distrust of oneself. In the correlation analysis, it was found that the structure of the relationship between psychometric indicators and the results of the projective test in the compared groups differed significantly. In particular, in addicts, the indicators of the conscious and unconscious levels of psyche are more closely correlated, and the main "centers" of associations are Proneness to Conflicts and aggression from the sphere of the subconscious (htP) and Neuroticism from the sphere of conscious (NEO-PIR). It was also revealed that addiction moderates interrelations between selected psychological indicators of different levels, in particular the direct correlation between Depression and Modesty in healthy volunteers is replaced in addicts by the inverse correlation, while the negative correlation between Excitement seeking and anxiety is replaced by direct one. the obtained data can be used in psychological correction and psychotherapy of addicts., Психиатрия, психотерапия и клиническая психология, Выпуск 1 2020

To verify the effect of awards after dental care in children’s motivation in two visits to the dentist and if differences occur between genders. This was a randomised and blinded study with a systematic convenience sample consisting of 306 children of 4.99 ± 0.89 years old, with no previous dental experience for both genders, who sought the public dental services. The children were divided into Control group (G1) and Experimental group (G2), who received a positive reinforcement technique with awards after dental care. A projective test with the Venham Picture Test self-analysis was applied and the inference test was the Chi square test with a significance level of p 29.46). For boys there was no significant difference of anxiety between G1 and G2 groups, however in G2, girls showed more anxiety before dental treatment (p = 0.0095; x2 = 6.71) and less anxiety than boys during the second visit (p = 0.0014; x2 = 10.20). The award after dental care demonstrated a positive result for the decrease of anxiety in preschool children for two visits to the dentist. Girls in the experimental group showed less anxiety than boys during the second visit.

For the first time, the present study investigates disorder-specific attachment characteristics and childhood trauma in adolescent inpatients with anorexia nervosa (n = 30, girls/boys: 28/2, age: M = 14.84, SD = 1.20), a major depressive episode (n = 30, girls/boys: 27/3, age: M = 15.14, SD = 1.50), and controls (n = 60, girls/boys: 44/16, age: M = 16.10, SD = 1.20). We used the Structured Clinical Interview to diagnose Axis I disorders, the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System to classify attachment representations, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to assess child maltreatment. Our findings demonstrate an overrepresentation of the unresolved attachment status in the patient samples. A one-way analysis of variance succeeded by Bonferroni post hoc tests indicated that adolescents with anorexia nervosa show more isolation and dissolution of boundaries between life and death when confronted with situations of solitude. Although they report moderate to severe levels of traumatic childhood experiences, they tend to minimize those. Adolescents with a major depressive episode report higher levels of emotional abuse and neglect in their childhood, leaving them in a state of failed protection and danger during attachment distress. Integrating these attachment-related characteristics into specific psychotherapeutic interventions might be associated with a better outcome in that age group.

The present study investigated differences in various aspects of facial behavior among female patients with complicated grief (CG; n = 18) and healthy controls (n = 18) during the assessment of their attachment representation using the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System. All patients were classified with an unresolved attachment status. On a behavioral level, they demonstrated longer gazing behavior away from the interviewer and the picture stimuli, more speech pauses, less smiling toward the interviewer, and more crying, especially in response to stimuli portraying the theme of loss. Focusing on the in-depth analysis of death-related stimuli using the Facial Action Coding System, patients demonstrated less facial affective behavior, less disgust, and less smiling in response to these stimuli compared with the healthy controls. The impaired capacity of patients with CG responding in an affective appropriate manner regarding bereavement might be interpreted as a specific emotion dysregulation when their attachment and mourning system is activated.

Forced displacements and their psychosocial consequences in adolescent refugees and their families have received increasing attention in recent years. Although supportive family relations play a key role in buffering the impact of traumatization in adolescents, parental ability to provide such is often subject to extreme pressure. Under conditions of forced dislocation and fear, maladaptive interpersonal strategies in the parent-child relationships may develop, contributing to the onset of psychopathology. We explore new aspects of attachment-related issues for the understanding and treatment of adolescent refugees who have experienced multiple traumas in their childhood. We used a multimethod assessment battery including the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP), the Structured Clinical Interview, the Youth Self Report and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale in an adolescent boy with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our subject was an adolescent refugee from the Middle East who demonstrated an unresolved attachment when confronted with loss and fear. His responses on the AAP evoked aspects of insecure-unresolved attachment, including his belief that it is not safe to trust in attachment figures, his limited access to traumatic attachment experiences, his impaired ability to take concrete actions when dealing with threatening attachment situations and the unintentional role-reversal shed new light on our understanding of his traumatic experiences, family functioning and psychopathological symptoms. Our results demonstrate the utility of the AAP in an adolescent refugee with PTSD by expanding our knowledge of a diverse range of experiences across the interpersonal, cognitive, cultural and developmental contexts that formed the basis for an individualized treatment plan.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess whether the Adult Attachment Projective (AAP) Picture System is a reliable and face valid measure of internal working models of attachment in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Design/methodology/approach The AAPs of 20 adults with ID were coded blind by two reliable judges and classified into one of four groups: secure, dismissing, preoccupied, or unresolved. Inter-rater reliability was calculated using κ. Six participants repeated the assessment for test-retest reliability. Two independent experts rated ten cases on the links between the AAP analysis and the clinical history. Findings There was significant agreement between AAP judges, κ=0.677, pr=0.51 (p Research limitations/implications The inter-rater reliability, stability, face validity, and clinical utility of the AAP in this population is promising. Further examination of these findings with a larger sample of individuals with ID is needed. Originality/value This is the first study attempting to investigate the reliability and validity of the AAP in this population.

This paper discusses the use of somatic countertransference as a means of learning about the patient, about projective and adhesive identification and about the object relating nature of the most traumatized and withdrawn part of the personality. It assumes an elemental knowledge of British Object Relations and uses clinical material to illustrate the hypotheses that somatic countertransference is an indicator of a very elemental communication occurring from the aspect of the psyche that is united in a body mind or mind body. The paper assumes that this body mind was object seeking at birth and perhaps before. Because these early aspects of the personality are non verbal and non conceptual, the analyst must rely not only on the verbal material in a session but on the emotional and sensual experiences within the transference and the countertransference. Such reliance requires a faith in one's own intuition without a certainty that one is "right." Because speaking of such early experience is difficult, often writers and analysts appear more certain than they are. This is a hazard of this type of analytic work. What I am writing about is conjecture or imagination or dream, but I am suggesting that such dream work is a valuable tool for analysis.

Objective : to establish qualitative and quantitative parameters of adaptive-preventive potential of the family for efficient optimization of states and system of relations of patients with schizophrenic disorders in the family and in the society. Material : cohorts of 51 patients with schizophrenic disorders and 36 first-grade relatives and spouses of patients. Methods : clinical-genealogical, family-diagnostic with use of questionnaires, tests, scales, projective techniques, statistical. Results : Scoring of parameters of family functioning, comparison of sociodemographic and psychological characteristics of patients and their relatives allowed distinguishing three levels of adaptive-preventive potential of families of patients with schizophrenia — low, moderate and high. Conclusions : findings can be a basis for provision of family-oriented psychosocial rehabilitation of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders that extends possibilities of prevention in the mental health domain.

I would like to refer to Sanchez-Medina's paper “Projective Identification and ‘Telepathic Dreams’” (2018), which, as its very title indicates, focuses theoretically and clinically on projective id...

This study examined expression of distress and changes in self-perception in breast cancer patients who underwent different surgeries (lumpectomy/mastectomy) via analysis of their self-figure drawings. It was assumed that the two types of surgery would affect their bodies differently and hence also their body- and self-image. The Machover Draw-A-Person test was administered twice to 72 survivors (47 underwent conserving surgery and 25 a mastectomy): first, they were asked to draw themselves in the present; then they were asked to draw themselves as they remembered themselves pre-illness. The expressions in self-figure drawings were compared using sixteen indicators. The results show that 11 of 16 indices clearly indicated differences in self-perception between the pre-illness past self and the self-perception of the present self, in women who underwent different breast surgeries. The indices were: breast, mouth, height, body outline, eyes, hair, feminine figure, and palms/hands. No differences were found for 5 indices: lower body, head outline, feminine clothes and accessories, feminine body, pointed fingers. Conclusions It is suggested that the projective DAP test be used as an aid for identifying changes in features of self-portrayal. It could also be applied when planning an intervention for the alleviation of distress via structured supportive care in breast cancer survivors.

The ethical principles of psychological assessment include the need to use reliable tests to meet the demands of the emerging population. Therefore, the present study sought to provide evidence of validity of the Zulliger Comprehensive System (Zulliger Test in the Comprehensive System) considering the constructs: self-perception and interpersonal relationships. A total of 61 older adults of both sexes participated in the study; 30 had Parkinson’s disease (clinical group) and 31 were healthy (non-clinical group). The clinical group showed an increase in the following variables: Human detail (p = 0.02, d = 0.50); Morbid responses (p = 0.025, d = 0.62); Vista responses (p = 0.016, d = 0.72), Food Responses (p = 0.021, d = 0.61) and Decrease in human detail fictional (p = 0.012, d = -0.65) and in Personalized Responses (p = 0.003, d = -0.48). There was a positive relationship between the Zulliger Test in the Comprehensive System variables and age, income, and disease severity and a negative relationship between the Zulliger Test in the Comprehensive System variables and time since diagnosis. The results obtained confirm the validity of the Zulliger Test in the Comprehensive System and encourage further studies. Resumo Entre os princípios éticos da prática da avaliação psicológica destaca-se a necessidade do uso de testes fidedignos para responder às demandas da população emergente. Com esse propósito, buscou-se evidenciar a validade do Zulliger Sistema Compreensivo considerando os construtos autopercepção e relações interpessoais. Participaram do estudo 61 idosos, 30 com doença de Parkinson e 31 livres da doença, de ambos os sexos. O primeiro grupo apresentou aumento das variáveis de Detalhe humano (p = 0,02, d = 0,50), Conteúdo mórbido (p = 0,025, d = 0,62), Somatório de sombreado vista (p = 0,016, d = 0,72), Alimento (p = 0,021, d = 0,61) e Rebaixamento em detalhe para-humano (p = 0,012, d = -0,65) e Respostas personalizadas (p = 0,003, d = -0,48). Houve associação positiva entre variáveis do Zulliger Sistema Compreensivo e idade, renda e severidade da doença e associação negativa com o tempo de diagnóstico. Os resultados ratificam a validade do Zulliger Sistema Compreensivo e estimulam novos estudos.