Women's experience of brain injury: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Acquired traumatic brain injury (TBI) can leave the survivor with a complex range of psychological sequalae. This study aims to investigate the experience from the perspective of women with acquired TBI. Using a qualitative research method, six women with a TBI were interviewed about their experience, and the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed according to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The major themes that emerged were: awareness of change; the emotional reaction; struggling to make sense; adaptation and acceptance. This article describes the process of adaptation, and the implications for rehabilitation are discussed. It is suggested that an intervention based on these themes might be an effective tool in rehabilitation.     

Time Perception in Boys With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder According to Time Duration,Distraction and Mode of Presentation

The present study describes the incidence of test refusal at neuropsychological assessment, investigates its correlates, and its stability. The participants were 124 children aged 3.5 years whose development has been followed from birth in the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia (JLD). The frequency of test refusal on the Finnish version of the NEPSY was analyzed with respect to the children's concurrent and earlier cognitive and language skills, assessed using tests and parental ratings. Refusal during test-taking was found to be relatively common at this age, and high frequency of refusal at an earlier age was associated with similar tendency at a later age. High test refusal was associated with compromised neuropsychological and linguistic test scores. Missing data due to refusal were more common in neuropsychological tasks requiring verbal production. It is concluded that test refusals reflect a child's poor underlying skills and an attempt to avoid failure, rather than noncompliant or oppositional behavior.     

Postpartale psychische Störungen

Any postpartum mental disorder in a mother can influence the mother-child relationship and communication and lead to the development of psychosomatic disorders or disorders of behavioral regulation with diagnostic status. These can have a long-term impact on the mother-child relationship and the child’s mental development. Based on research findings on mother-child interaction, the authors expound why including the child in treatment is crucial. Accordingly, possible contraindications for mother-infant treatment are described. Clinical parent-infant treatment practice is reviewed as an interdisciplinary and multiprofessional challenge and the necessity of adhering to minimum standards, beside adult psychiatric skills, of child psychiatric and developmental expertise in diagnostics and intervention for quality assurance.     

Traumafolgestörungen bei Erwachsenen, Kindern und Jugendlichen

Valid diagnostics are an essential foundation of a successful psychotherapeutic treatment. For posttraumatic stress disorders this is not always the case, i.e. when questionnaires are applied that do not completely comply with the criteria of a posttraumatic stress disorder according to the classification systems DSM-IV and ICD-10. In the present review, trauma questionnaires frequently applied in German-speaking areas for adults, children and adolescents are presented with their specificities and are critically discussed. Finally, recommendations for diagnosing posttraumatic stress disorders by means of questionnaires are made.     

Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung

There are some problems concerning the concepts of trauma-related disorders and especially the category of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with respect to classification, diagnosis and epidemiological findings, which can only be understood within the historical framework of the development. Even current diagnostic systems, such as the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders version 4 (DSM-IV) and the international classification of diseases version 10 (ICD-10) differ in the classification of these disorders which led to higher prevalence rates being achieved with ICD-10. The diagnostic algorithms have been opened to included subsyndromal PTSD as well as complex PTSD including more severe psychiatric disorders.     

The Essence of Essence

Despite its appeal and popularity, the view that membership in a natural kind is essential to an individual is unsupported by the logic of essences and has no compelling reflective support. While the view has strong intuitive and empirical support this is insufficient to establish it. There are advantages to abandoning the view that kind membership is essential to individuals. One of these advantages is that it allows for a reconfiguring of the problem of material constitution in a way that removes much of the paradox.     

Resilience in Families Adapting to Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study explored adjustment and adaptation in families living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Data on family resilience were collected from 19 biological mothers of children with ADS. The data were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively to yield information on factors that enable these families to bounce back from the diagnosis and accompanying challenges with regard to ADS. The findings from the qualitative analysis indicate that social support, the spousal relationship, and family time, togetherness and routines are the most important resilience-promoting factors with ASD. Family hardiness, family problem-solving communication, and family time and routines were significant resilience resources.