The Shedler and Westen Assessment Procedure from the perspective of general personality structure.

Aims and MethodA survey of 50 in-patient forensic health care and prison services in England, Wales and Scotland was employed to evaluate: (a) how severe personality disorder is assessed; and (b) how assessments compare with recommendations concerning standardised assessment by the Working Group on Psychopathic Disorder (Reed, 1994).ResultsSeventy per cent of services responded, of whom 40% formally assessed personality disorder. Fifty-four instruments were routinely employed. Assessments of personality structure and cognitive/emotional styles were more common than structured diagnostic instruments or ratings of interpersonal functioning. Of the assessment tools, 25.7% of services provided at least one suggested by Reed (1994).Clinical ImplicationsA nationally agreed, focused repertoire of instruments should be encouraged within secure forensic settings offering assessments to individuals with severe personality disorder.

Download Full-text

Defensive mechanisms and personality structure in an early adolescent boy: process and outcome issues in a non-intensive psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy.

Research in Psychotherapy Psychopathology Process and Outcome ◽

10.4081/ripppo.2015.166 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Daniela Di Riso ◽

Alessandro Gennaro ◽

Daphne Chessa

Keyword(s):

Defense Mechanisms ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Multiple Correspondence Analysis ◽

Early Adolescent ◽

Personality Structure ◽

Assessment Procedure ◽

Font Size ◽

Defensive Mechanisms ◽

Psychoanalytically Oriented Psychotherapy

The main aim of this paper is to empirically assess defenses mechanism trends (process) and personality structure (outcome) in an audio-recorded non-intensive psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapy with an early adolescent boy, Gabriele. Defensive mechanisms were evaluated through the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale (DMRS, Perry 1990), assessment and outcome measure included the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure for Adolescents (SWAP-200-A, Westen, Dutra, & Shedler, 2005).  The paper focused on 12 sessions divided into three periods, SWAP-200-A were scored at the assessment and outcome phases while all the sessions were evaluated according DMRS. Quantitative and narrative profiles of SWAP-200-A and DMRS were integrated, a log linear procedure was chosen to assess defensive mechanisms trends longitudinally during the treatment. Moreover a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA, Benzecri, 1973a) was applied to DMRS to provides a map of the evolution of the patterns of defense mechanisms throughout the course of psychotherapy. Personality assessment and defensive mechanisms showed an inhibited self-critical image with obsessive, narcissistic and disavowal patterns. According to trends during treatment phases these defensive patterns decreased while mature defenses increased significantly. MCA analysis identified also this trajectory. The study highlighted how non intensive psychoanalytic oriented treatment might by effective in treating internalizing disorders, and specifically discussed outcome and process issues in terms of personality structural changes and defense mechanisms with empirically based measures.

Download Full-text

Defensive mechanisms and personality structure in an early adolescent boy: process and outcome issues in a non-intensive psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy

Research in Psychotherapy Psychopathology Process and Outcome ◽

10.4081/ripppo.2015.176 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Daniela Di Riso ◽

Alessandro Gennaro ◽

Silvia Salcuni

Keyword(s):

Personality Assessment ◽

Defense Mechanisms ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Multiple Correspondence Analysis ◽

Early Adolescent ◽

Personality Structure ◽

Assessment Procedure ◽

Defensive Mechanisms ◽

Psychoanalytically Oriented Psychotherapy

The main aim of this paper is to empirically assess defense mechanisms trends and personality structure in a once a week psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy with an early adolescent, affected by a General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Assessment and outcome measure included the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure for Adolescents (SWAP-200-A); process was evaluated through defensive mechanisms analysis, using Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale (DMRS). The paper focused on 12 sessions divided into three periods, along 2 years of treatment. Quantitative and narrative profiles of SWAP-200-A and DMRS were integrated; a log linear procedure was chosen to assess defensive mechanisms trends longitudinally during the treatment. Moreover a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) was applied to DMRS to provide a map of the evolution of the patterns of defense mechanisms throughout the course of treatment. Personality assessment and defensive mechanisms showed an inhibited self-critical image with obsessive, narcissistic and disavowal patterns. According to trends during treatment phases, MCA analysis identified decreasing in defensive patterns, while mature defenses increased significantly. The study highlighted how non-intensive psychoanalytic psychotherapy can help early adolescents with clinical problems to improve their overall mental functioning. Outcome in terms of personality structural changes and process according to defense mechanisms were discussed to highlight improvement not just in symptomatology, but also in personality structure and functioning.

Download Full-text

Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorder Symptoms

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027//1015-5759.17.1.25 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 25-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

G. Leonard Burns ◽

James A. Walsh ◽

David R. Patterson ◽

Carol S. Holte ◽

Rita Sommers-Flanagan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit ◽

Rating Scales ◽

Behavior Disorder ◽

Disruptive Behavior Disorder ◽

Subjective Rating ◽

Time Interval ◽

Assessment Procedure ◽

Frequency Count ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Oppositional Defiant

Summary: Rating scales are commonly used to measure the symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD). While these scales have positive psychometric properties, the scales share a potential weakness - the use of vague or subjective rating procedures to measure symptom occurrence (e. g., never, occasionally, often, and very often). Rating procedures based on frequency counts for a specific time interval (e. g., never, once, twice, once per month, once per week, once per day, more than once per day) are less subjective and provide a conceptually better assessment procedure for these symptoms. Such a frequency count procedure was used to obtain parent ratings on the ADHD, ODD, and CD symptoms in a normative (nonclinical) sample of 3,500 children and adolescents. Although the current study does not provide a direct comparison of the two types of rating procedures, the results suggest that the frequency count procedure provides a potentially more useful way to measure these symptoms. The implications of the results are noted for the construction of rating scales to measure the ADHD, ODD, and CD symptoms.

Download Full-text