Beurteilungsgrundlagen psychodynamischer Diagnostik

In the period of 1988–1999 752 anamnestic reports made by psychoanalysts-in-training on the basis of initial interviews with treatment seeking patients were examined concerning their psychodynamical judgement criteria. The study was conducded at the Institut für Psychotherapie e.V. in Berlin. Trained raters analysed first the presented “psychodynamic considerations” concerning their implicit theoretical and clinical concepts and second the supervising analysts commentaries. Moreover, the supervising analysts were asked to explicate their own theoretical orientation. The findings were then put in comparison. In the course of the study, changes over time in preferences for some concepts and diagnoses were observable. Psychoanalysts-in-training differ from experienced psychoanalysts in their preferred data sources, and men and women differ in their diagnoses. Concerning their theoretical orientation, psychoanalysts-in-training lean on their instructors.     

Qualit?tssicherung in der Glaubhaftigkeitsbeurteilung

This article analyzes various levels of the quality discussion that are relevant for credibility assessment. On the highest level, the German Federal Supreme Court's (BGH) leading decision on scientific standards for psychological credibility assessment in 1999 has been exceptionally influential. The particular impact of this decision is that it does not just list general demands or name which topics need to be addressed, but lays down specific methodological standards. This has countered a frequent error in the past: namely, that of treating probabilistic indicators as if they were nomological laws. On the concrete level, the instrument known as the critical appraisal of methods (methodenkritische Stellungnahme) has frequently been used to uncover the quality deficits in existing expert's reports. The article points out that although a critical appraisal of methods is also a scientific instrument that has to meet minimum quality standards, these standards have not always been met in practice. Nonetheless, the best outcome of a specification of quality standards is the application in practice of the current state of knowledge in a discipline. Therefore, it has to be stressed that a viable quality discussion depends crucially on the allocation of sufficient research resources to engage in the evaluation and further development of diagnostic strategies for single-case assessments.     

Standardisierte Dokumentation als Methode der Qualit?tssicherung

Quality assurance is one of the recurrent topics in forensic psychiatry and the first methods used were systematic documentation and the development of structured assessment and documentation instruments. In German speaking countries the forensic psychiatric documentation system (FPDS) was derived essentially from the AMDP (working group for methods and documentation in psychiatry) system used in clinical psychiatry and consisted of a modular instrument with a basic module and additional ones for the assessment of violent offenders or of sex offenders for risk assessment etc. The development of comparable instruments became especially popular for risk assessment in different settings and for different offender populations. Even more important was that it initiated a platform for scientific exchange, producing a reliable data base, structured training in forensic psychiatry and evaluation of expert reports. Systematic documentation using instruments was often criticized for reducing information and overlooking the complexity of the problems encountered in forensic psychiatry. The critics, however, often do not seem to be aware of the real quality of forensic assessments and reports, of the variety or of the minimal information they often contain. Systematic documentation serves to find a common language among the experts and the courts to improve the assessment of reliability and validity of the information provided, to establish minimal requirements for the formulation of reports and to prove professionally correct handling of cases in litigation against an expert.     

Performance Management at the Wheel: Driving Employee Engagement in Organizations

Based on a study conducted in a large corporation (XINC, a pseudonym) and other research, it appears that performance management can be used to increase levels of employee engagement. We begin this article with a discussion of employee engagement, define engaged employees as those who feel involved, committed, passionate, and empowered, and demonstrate those feelings in work behavior. We then discuss an expanded view of performance management, conceptualizing it as five major activities that serve to organize relevant behaviors shown to be either direct or indirect predictors of employee engagement in the study at XINC. These major activities include setting performance and development goals, providing ongoing feedback and recognition, managing employee development, conducting mid-year and year-end appraisals, and building a climate of trust and empowerment. In turn, we briefly discuss how each of these major activities contributes to employee engagement, suggest which activities benefit from further research, and recommend possible studies. Although there is evidence for performance management as a driver of employee engagement, we conclude there is a need for additional research that clarifies for managers which of these activities have the strongest impact on employee engagement.     

Station?re Psychotherapie und Medien

Background

According to several studies the application of different media in inpatient psychotherapy and psychiatry has proven to be a useful and effective addition to conventional methods of intervention. This study is the first to catalogue the current spread of media in inpatient treatment as well as the evaluations of media-supported interventions by therapists and patients.

Sample and method

In a representative survey conducted in all psychiatric and psychosomatic clinics in North-Rhine/Westphalia (response: 40 psychologists/doctors and 289 patients from 39 clinics) media equipment, usage of media in different areas, evaluation of and satisfaction with the media usage were measured by a questionnaire which was constructed especially for this purpose.

Results

A widespread usage and acceptance of media could only be found in some areas. The study identified large differences in equipment standards and media usage depending on the type of media, the area of usage and the specific clinic.

Conclusion

Recommendations for the further development and optimization of media usage in inpatient psychotherapy are derived from the results of this study.