Psychopathological Approach Research Articles

Predictors of resilience in women treated for breast cancer: A prospective study.

9044 Background: Because a cancer diagnosis may be regarded as a potentially traumatic event with untoward consequences, much research has focussed on negative aspects of cancer diagnosis and treatment, emphasising psychological outcomes. A recent paradigm shift recognises that such a psycho-pathological approach discounts the human capacity for resilience "the ability to maintain relatively stable functioning following an aversive life event" (Bonanno GA Curr Direct in Psychol Science 2005 14(3) 135). Predictors of resilience in women who recovered uneventfully from surgical and adjuvant treatment for early stage breast cancer were investigated in a prospective study. Methods: Validated self-report measures of mood, somatic symptoms, temperament, illness attitudes, and social support were completed post-surgery. Clinical, tumor and treatment details were recorded. At end treatment and subsequently at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, self-report measures of mood and somatic symptoms were completed. Resilience was defined as: no evidence of protracted psychological or somatic distress in the 12 months following treatment completion. Identified resilient and non-resilient groups were compared and predictors sought by logistic regression. Results: Of 218 women evaluated, 106 (49%) were classified as "resilient." They either reported no clinically significant psychological or other distress post-surgery (34%) and 12months following adjuvant treatment or recovered promptly (15%) and remained well. There were no significant differences in age (52 years); marital status; tumor size; treatment; treatment toxicity (nadir hemoglobin and neutrophil count) or mortality at 5 years post treatment (8 confirmed deaths in each group). Logistic regression identified low neuroticism (temperament or personality trait) as the most significant predictor of resilience. Conclusions: These findings suggest that without any intervention almost half the women treated for breast cancer adapt well to diagnosis and treatment. These outcomes warrant further research, to provide further insight into how individuals cope with major illness and to facilitate development of programs to aid those in whom outcomes are protracted.

Poster #154 NEUROCOGNITIVE PROFILES OF MARGINALIZED PERSONS WITH COMORBID PSYCHOSIS AND POLYSUBSTANCE ABUSE

Individuals who face significant adversity are typically able to resume normal functioning despite this hardship. Resilience is a dynamic process at any level of functioning that encompasses the capacity by which these individuals adapt positively following adversity. Resilience science aims to elucidate the mechanisms of successful adaption following adverse situations, allowing researchers to better understand why some individuals adapt better than others. In the present chapter we synthesize literature on biologic systems and their resilient functioning, including neurobiologic, hormonal, and genetic aspects of resilience. Utilizing a developmental psychopathology approach, we emphasize the importance of taking an integrative, multiple systems perspective when examining resilient functioning by incorporating biologic and psychosocial systems and the necessity for collaboration among researchers from a variety of disciplines. Finally, we discuss the application of resilience science and how these results can be integrated into intervention efforts aimed to promote resilient functioning in individuals.

Réflexions sur la notion de workaholisme : pour une approche transactionnelle

The workaholism is a term created starting from the word alcoholism. This is why the workaholism is often associated as an addiction at work, i.e. an individual problem. Other authors describe the workaholism using various clinical diagnostics evoking a compulsive obsessive symptomatology, bulimic or anorexic problematic, ergomany, some traits of personality (compulsive obsessive, nevrosism, etc) or troubles of personality (obsessive compulsive). These descriptions of the workaholism privilege an individual psychopathological approach which forgets the professional context contrary at the notion of professional hyperactivity and professional activism suggested by Dejours. The workaholism appears as a notion as polysemic as that of stress with which it shares many common points of which the organizational framework, the occupational context, the multidimensionality of the process, etc. Consequently, the study of the workaholism raises more of the models of stress at work than that of an individual psychopathological approach. Indeed, the transactional and multidimensional models of the stress make it possible to integrate the data of the current literature on the workaholism while differentiating clearly the organizational antecedents, the individual psychological characteristics, theirs complex interactions and the negative or positive consequences on the professional performance, physical or psychological health and the professional or extraprofessional relationships.

Abduction of Children by Their Parents: A Psychopathological Approach to the Problem in Mixed-Ethnicity Marriages

Aim: Child abduction by one parent and their transport to a foreign country is increasing worldwide but has not received adequate scientific interest. When inter-marital relationships reach the point of break-up and divorce, one of the parents abducts his/her child/children. Method: Records of forty seven (47) cases of inter family abduction that took place in 2007 in Greece were obtained. The majority of cases concerned relocation of children in a foreign country. A special inventory was developed for data collection. This consisted of three distinctive parts, for the father, the mother, or the abducted child. Results: Results showed that a typical abductive mother is of non Greek nationality, more likely of having psychiatric symptoms, without indication of substance abuse and no signs of violent behavior. Abductive fathers are of Greek nationality, less likely of having psychiatric symptoms, no substance abuse, and tend to exhibit violent behavior. Legal resolution of these cases and repatriation takes very long adding to the child and family’s distress. Conclusions: Child abduction is associated with cases of dissolved marriages. Domestic violence is frequent. Child abduction cases takes on average 3.5 years to be

AS26-01 - Time and time experience. definitions: a psychopathological approach

The concepts of t ime, space and the self are intimately involved and though this is not often recognised, directly influence our understanding of diverse abnormal experiences not regarded as related. In this paper I shall argue that Kant's description of time as a theoretical rather than an empirical concept relying on experience is a fruitful one for psychopathology to adopt. In other words, that our experience of coexistence and succession, and indeed of duration, pre-eminent time constructs, depends on a prior concept of time. The same is true of our concept of space. And, finally, the self, our unity of consciousness and bodily integrity require an intuitive notion of time and space. The aim is to draw attention to the fact that this intimate interaction between time, space and the self has implications for the definition and classification of abnormalities of time experience. The method will be by conceptual analysis. I will conclude by arguing that identity, memory, actions, will, music, language, narrative structure, attitude to the future and mood, all implicitly have a time signature that determines how they are experienced and how they ought to be described and defined. I will use examples of memory impairment, impairment of language use in thought disorder, and abnormalities of attitude to the future in mood disorders to underline my case.

Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain in An Adolescent Cancer Survivor

Several pediatric tumors require mutilating procedures in order to be treated effectively. Although the pain caused by the surgery is usually of a transient nature, the perception of pain in the amputated limb may persist. This prolonged pain, which is often refractory to pain-killing medication, may severely affect the patient's quality of life. The phenomenon of phantom limb pain (or phantom limb syndrome) has been investigated using neurological, neurophysiological and psychopathological approaches. Here we discuss the advantages of an unconventional rehabilitation technique, the recently reported mirror therapy, whose positive effects might be due, according to some researchers, to neuronal plasticity mechanisms. We describe the use of mirror therapy to treat phantom limb syndrome in a 39-year-old patient whose right leg had been amputated at the age of 17 because of an osteosarcoma. The patient suffered from frequent episodes of pain, with severely negative effects on his quality of life. We obtained positive subjective feedback from the patient, who reported having benefited significantly from using the mirror. The beneficial effect was still present six months after the start of mirror therapy. The reported case highlights the value of an integrated multidisciplinary approach including neurological/physiatric assessment, clinical psychological support, physiotherapy and other, unconventional treatment modalities. This report should guide future studies towards the application of mirror therapy in order to elucidate its effects and efficacy.

Explaining “Memories” of Space Alien Abduction and past Lives: An Experimental Psychopathology Approach

In this article, I describe how my colleagues, students, and I have used the methods of experimental psychopathology to explain why seemingly sincere, nonpsychotic people claim to have memories of being abducted by space aliens or memories from past lives. Our group has used experimental methods from cognitive psychology and psychophysiology, supplementing them with clinical interviews and psychometric tests, to elucidate the psychology of these two groups. Our data point to quasi-spiritual motivations for why some people embrace the identity of alien abductee or past lifer.

Psychosis Risk Syndrome andDSM-5: Time for a Dimensional Approach to At-Risk Mental States?

The development of formal, empirically grounded methods for assessing At-Risk Mental States (ARMS) is becoming prominent, especially in light of the eventual inclusion of a pertinent "Psychosis risk syndrome" category in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Indeed, the phenomenology of risk syndromes for psychosis is complex, nuanced and clinically overlapping with multifarious transitory mental states. Supplementing current prodromal/Ultra-High Risk (UHR) criteria with a dimensional psychopathological approach would favor a rational mapping of emergent needs in ARMS help seekers and provide a more fine-grained reference framework for patient-centered risk stratification and intervention.

Resilience to Loss and Potential Trauma

Initial research on loss and potentially traumatic events (PTEs) has been dominated by either a psychopathological approach emphasizing individual dysfunction or an event approach emphasizing average differences between exposed and nonexposed groups. We consider the limitations of these approaches and review more recent research that has focused on the heterogeneity of outcomes following aversive events. Using both traditional analytic tools and sophisticated latent trajectory modeling, this research has identified a set of prototypical outcome patterns. Typically, the most common outcome following PTEs is a stable trajectory of healthy functioning or resilience. We review research showing that resilience is not the result of a few dominant factors, but rather that there are multiple independent predictors of resilient outcomes. Finally, we critically evaluate the question of whether resilience-building interventions can actually make people more resilient, and we close with suggestions for future research on resilience.

P02-87 - Psychopathological approach in interrelation of socially disabled people

Social disability at institutionalized young people is emerging as a disadvantage compared with non-institutionalized, produced by the absence of family environment, by inadequate extra-school influences, or emotional and behavioral disorders. These disorders, subsequent to institutionalization, may lead to their transformation into other types of mental disorders, such as mental deficiency and social maladjustment.Thus, we tried a psycho-pedagogical and psychopathological approach of depression found in individuals with social disabilities (abandoned and institutionalized children in orphanages), aiming, with specific means, a theoretical and experimental understanding of known or probable relationship between depressive symptoms and social disability for abandoned children, the practical need being to identify early manifestations of depression and begin rapidly the treatment in children abandoned.Our conclusion was that young people in institutions are less able to regulate dysphoric-aggressive affects, compared to non-institutionalized children, which often develop conciliatory behaviors and present higher levels of tolerance.

Who Are The Difficult Employees? Psychopathological Attributions Of Their Co-workers

<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; tab-stops: 153.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On a given workday, over 700 workers are attacked, 43,800 employees are harassed and 16,400 are threatened (Hynes, 2001). Yet the literature focuses upon environmental causes; none attempt to identify personal characteristics of the uncivil, deviant or maladaptive employee. This study helps fill this void by exploring the personality correlates of uncivil employee behavior. These employees violate mutual norms of respect, negatively affect organizational performance, and are thus the prototypical difficult employee. Utilizing a unique psycho-pathological approach, the DSM-IV (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) was used as the basis for defining and assessing the perceived personality correlates of these employees’ behaviors. Results suggest that narcissistic traits are the modal descriptors for the Difficult Employee, regardless of hierarchical role (boss, peer, subordinate). Implications are discussed with suggestions for future research. </span></span></p>

Psychopathology in the 21st century

Objectives. The present publication sets out to evaluate the position of psychopathology in the 21st century and should also serve as a basis for defining the framework for the future tasks of the WFSBP Task Force. Methods. Review of publications on the various approaches of psychopathology in general and of different tasks, theories and tools of psychopathology approaches in particular. Results. The main tasks of psychopathology are, to record and describe experiential and behavioral abnormalities in their intersubjective context, to explain their origin from an objective scientific perspective, and to attempt to understand them from the subjective perspective of the patient. In order to provide stable fundaments for the work in clinical and scientific psychiatry all three components are indispensable. Conclusions. The future of psychiatry hence lies in the hands of a type of psychopathology that we will call Integrative Psychopathology. The main tasks of psychopathology can only be pursued in close cooperation with other branches of science interested in studying psychiatric issues. Whereas contemporary psychopathology must lay the foundations for that cooperation, Integrative Psychopathology must be complemented by further advancements in Theoretical Psychopathology, so as to enable conceptual new developments, which can then be fruitful for cooperative research and psychiatric clinical practice.

Addressing, understanding and treating conduct disorders in adolescents through psychoanalysis and neuroscience: towards a disappearance of sex-differences

Based on our findings showing that female adolescents in resident group homes exhibit externalized disorders at the same rate as male adolescents, explanatory hypotheses are developed from neuroscience (genetics and endocrinology) and from psychoanalysis (psychopathological and environmental approach). In particular, the place of the psychoanalytic approach in improving our understanding of such results is discussed with regard first to the clinical context and then to the research context. This article underlines that both approaches in psychoanalysis and neuroscience can, and maybe have to/should, coexist in child psychiatry.

Development and evolution: Evolutionary approach in psychopathology and psychotherapy

A tanulmány amellett érvel, hogy az adaptív mechanizmusoknak és diszfunkcióiknak a finom elemzése jelentősen hozzájárul a fejlődés és a betegségek jobb megértéséhez, és a betegségek osztályozásának és a terápiáknak új útját nyithatja meg. Az evolúciós megközelítés a pszichoterápiába nem új elméletet vagy terápiás megközelítést kíván bevezetni, hanem az emberi természet törvényszerűségei mentén új megértési stratégiákat javasol. A patológiás szerveződést alapvetően az adaptivitás dimenziójában gondolja el. Ez kikényszeríti a fejlődési történet és a multikauzalitás szem előtt tartását. Hosszú távon ez a tüneti kategorizáción alapuló diagnosztika újragondolását is jelenti.

The Empirical Study of Terrorism: Social and Legal Research

Social science research on terrorism has grown rapidly in recent years, aided by social and legal studies. In this review, we examine research on the causes of terrorism and the effectiveness of strategies for countering it. We define terrorism as the threatened or actual use of illegal force directed against civilian targets by nonstate actors in order to attain a political goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation. Our review of causes is divided by level of analysis into sections on individual-, group-, and macro-level explanations. Our evaluation of counterterrorism strategies includes reviews of legal, criminal justice, military, and legitimacy campaigns. Psychopathological approaches have been largely discredited; however, evidence suggests that certain experiences, attitudes, and behaviors are overrepresented among terrorists. The potential impact of ideology, leadership, popular support, Diasporic communities, and socialization on group dynamics all provide fertile areas for additional research. Terrorism feeds on the ability of groups to portray governments and their agents as illegitimate. There is also evidence for high rates of terrorism in countries that are in democratic transition or are described as failed states. Research on connections between religious motives and terrorism is mixed. Although research on the efficacy of counterterrorism methods has grown rapidly in recent years, it is still rarely evaluated with strong empirical methods. All of these conclusions are qualified by the fact that both individual- and group-level empirical data on terrorism are in short supply.

Cybernetic Approach of Psychopathology According to the S. Montserrat Esteve's Theory

Cybernetic Approach of Psychopathology According to the S. Montserrat Esteve's Theory

Un croisement institutionnel entre la neuropsychologie et la psychopathologie dans l’évaluation cognitivoclinique d’un homme âgé

This article is about an 88 years old man's case, hospitalized because of a worrying somatic symptomatology: deterioration of a cardiac deficiency, oedema of bottom legs and anorexia. Actually the patient shows cognitive troubles, but one year ago he has been hospitalized, for a confusional state, associated with comportmental troubles and light temporospacial disorientation. At this time, the cerebral imaging showed a diffuse atrophy, prevalent in frontal level. In front of this case, the diagnostical question proves to be delicate because of the complicated interactions between depression, dementia and normal ageing in the very old age. The main object of this work tries to situate this patient's case in its structural and historical subjective globality, with the help of a clinical thought. The clinical thought of the authors includes an interface with neuropsychological and psychopathological approaches and tries to overtake the only quantitative point of view of a technical evaluation.

Pathos, violence and power: the ethical implications of Fundamental Psychopathology

This III International Congress and IX Brazilian Congress ofFundamental Psychopathology gathers us today in Niteroiaround the theme: Pathos – Violence and Power. Guided by thisimportant debate proposal, I thought appropriate in thisconference to tackle a central problem directly linked to thisthematic, though paradoxically little discussed among us: that ofthe ethical implications of Fundamental Psychopathology. Iintend to show that the ethical issue has always been presentever since this field was created by Pierre Fedida. But, above all,I hope to demonstrate that the constitution of this new approachof psychopathology is organized around some truly ethicalpositionings relative to the theoretical, clinical and researchpractices whose object is human suffering and passions.For this purpose, my rather risky approach will try tocorrelate, within the given time, three decisive dimensions ofFundamental Psychopathology: its historical inscription, thedescription of its main proposals and the questioning of itsepistemological assumptions. This methodological option musttherefore renounce beforehand to any pretension to exhaust theissue with which it deals and limit itself to critically clarify thedecisive impact of the ethical dimension on the constitution ofthis field.

Mediational pathways through which positive and negative emotionality contribute to anhedonic symptoms of depression: a prospective study of adolescents.

This study takes a developmental psychopathological approach to examine mechanisms through which baseline levels of positive emotionality (PE) and negative emotionality (NE) prospectively predict increases in anhedonic depressive symptoms in a community sample of 350 adolescents (6th-10th graders). Dependent stressors mediated the relationship between baseline levels of NE and anhedonic depressive symptoms after controlling for initial symptoms. Supportive relationships mediated the relationship between baseline levels of PE and anhedonic depressive symptoms, after controlling for baseline symptoms. In addition, NE X PE interacted to predict later anhedonic depressive symptoms, such that adolescents with low levels of PE and high levels of NE experienced the greatest increase in anhedonic depressive symptoms. Last, supportive relationships interacted with baseline PE to predict prospective changes in anhedonic depressive symptoms, such that adolescents with low PE and low supportive relationships experienced the greatest increase in anhedonic depressive symptoms. Results are discussed in terms of current theoretical models of the link between temperament and depression.

P02-145 Abduction of children by their parents: The psychopathological approach of the problem in mixed-ethnicity marriages

Introduction:Children abduction by one parent and their transport refers to a foreign country is a gradually increasing phenomenon worldwide as well as Greece. Data from the Greek Ministry of Justice show that the frequency of such incidences is up to one a day (360/year). Some but not all of these cases come to the attention of the International Social Services (Division of Greece).Method:Records of fifty (50) cases of inter family abduction were obtained. These were cases that took place during the year 2003. These records were studied and analysed. The majority of cases concerned abductions within the European Union. Permission from the Personal Data Protection service was obtained before the research.Results:It was found that fathers were predominantly the abductors (60%). Based on the medical records of the parents, the abductor had established psychopathology (fathers 51,1%; mothers 48,5%). The abducting fathers made significant use of violence (50%) compared to the mother abductors (20%). The legal procedures that ensued the abductions were particularly prolonged: The trial period until the reach of a verdict took an average of 3 years.Conclusions:In the cases of children abduction by a parent, there is high correlation between the action and the psychopathology of the abductor. The need for establishment of services appropriate to face this multidisciplinary problem is imminent. The long time each case takes to be resolved has obvious implications for the mental health of the children and the parents involved.