Abstract
ABSTRACTTheoretical perspectives on personality and the development of psychopathology have shifted markedly over the last 7 decades. However, it remains unclear how those changes affect mental health practice. Comprehensive and conscientiously recorded reports of psychological testing provide a clear window on this process because they comprise distinctive records of how patients are assessed and understood. For this study, we conducted an exploratory, qualitative analysis of the narratives of the testing reports over the past 65 years at the Austen Riggs Center, a private psychiatric hospital and residential treatment center, to assess changes over time and to evaluate the influence that various factors had on the reports. The data revealed significant changes in psychologists' ways of assessing and conceptualizing personality and identity, adaptive functioning, and psychological development. Additionally, we evaluated how the evolving theoretical influences, such as institutional, professional, and sociohistorical factors affected the psychologist's model of psychopathology and development. This study raises important questions about how theoretical innovations affect clinical practice over time.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
