Perversion: a clinical possibility

Abstract

Clinical work with perverse patients presents numerous difficulties to psychoanalysis, be that due to the characteristics typical of the perverse structure, which is founded on the mechanism of disavowal, or to the inefficiency of neutrality and free association in this kind of practice. A study of existing literature on the subject and a thorough examination of their own clinical findings led the authors to propose a different kind of strategy for dealing with transference that would make clinical work with these patients plausible and indicate options for the paralyzing position that is imposed on the analyst by the perverse patient in order to derange the analytic process. By proposing an alternative for the “semblance subject-supposed-knowledge,” the authors defend the idea that clinical work with perverse patients is possible, resulting in a subject less captive of the phantasmagoric scene.

Drummond S et al. Perversion: eine klinische Möglichkeit

Klinische Arbeit mit perversen Patienten bildet zahlreiche Schwierigkeiten für die Psychoanalyse, sei es wegen der Eigenart der perversen Struktur, welche durch den Mechanismus der Verleugnung begründet wird oder sei es wegen der Ineffektivität der Neutralität und freien Assoziation bei dieser Art von Praxis. Ein Studium der vorhandenen Literatur über das Thema und eine gründliche Überprüfung eigener klinischer Befunde führte die Autoren dazu, eine unterschiedliche Art von Strategie des Umgangs mit Übertragung vorzuschlagen. Das würde klinische Arbeit mit diesen Patienten plausibel machen und auf Optionen für die paralysierende Position hinweisen, die dem Analytiker durch den perversen Patienten aufgebürdet wird, um den analytischen Prozess zu stören. Ein Alternative für das “semblance subject-supposed knowledge” vorschlagend, verteidigen die Autoren die Idee, daß klinische Arbeit mit perversen Patienten möglich ist, mit dem Ergebnis eines Subjekts, welches weniger durch die phantasmagorische Szene gefesselt ist.

Drummond S et al. perversión: una posibilidad clínica.

El trabajo clínico con pacientes perversos presenta numerosas dificultades para el psicoanálisis, puede ser debido a las características típicas de la estructura perversa, fundamentado en le mecanismo de repudio, o debido a la ineficacia de la neutralidad y asociación libre en este tipo de práctica. Un estudio de la literatura existente sobre el tema y un examen completo de los hallazgos clínicos, llevó a los autores a proponer un tipo diferente de estrategia para el manejo de la transferencia, que pudiera hacer posible el trabajo clínico con estos pacientes, también indicar opciones para la situación de paralización que estos pacientes imponen al analista para desorganizar el proceso analítico. Con la proposición de una alternativa para la “semblance-subject-supposed knowledge(apariencia del sujeto-supuesto saber),” el autor defiende la idea de que el trabajo clínico con pacientes perversos es posible, resultando un asunto menos cautivo de la escena fantasmagórica.     

Quality of Life and Mental Health Comparisons Among Liver Transplant Recipients and Cirrhotic Patients with Different Self-Perceptions of Health

Our aim was to analyze the differences in quality of life and mental health among liver transplant recipients with better (G₁) and worse (G₂) perceived health and decompensated cirrhotic patients (G₃). We selected two groups of patients: 168 liver transplant recipients and 75 cirrhotic patients. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and SF-36 Health Survey were used. Statistically significant differences showed that cirrhotic patients (G₃) suffered the highest impairment, and liver transplant recipients with better self-perceived health (G₁) had the lowest impairment, whereas patients with worse self-perceived health (G₂) were in an intermediate position between both groups. Moreover, very striking differences, based on large effect sizes, were found among groups on some quality of life dimensions: physical-role, general health, vitality, and physical functioning. In conclusion, the biopsychosocial well-being of liver transplant recipients is better than that of cirrhotic patients, even if the former do not perceive their health positively.     

Quality of Life in Women Following Various Surgeries of Body Manipulation: Organ Transplantation, Mastectomy, and Breast Reconstruction

This study aimed to determine biopsychosocial differences (anxious-depressive symptomatology and quality of life) among three groups of patients who underwent surgical interventions related to body manipulation, as well as to assess the clinical significance of these results versus reference values. Four groups were compared: women who underwent organ transplant (n = 26), mastectomy for breast cancer (n = 36), breast reconstruction (n = 36), and general population (n = 608). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the EORTC QLQ-C30 were used. Women who underwent mastectomy showed the highest anxious-depressive symptomatology and quality-of-life impairment in comparison to the remaining groups, and they also displayed the most clinically significant deterioration in the majority of dimensions (large effect sizes). In contrast, the group with implantation of a healthy organ (transplantation) only showed higher biopsychosocial impairment than the group with reconstruction of an organ (breast reconstruction) in gastrointestinal dysfunctions and in the global self-perception of health.     

Maladaptive personality traits in adolescence: Psychometric properties of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+

The Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+) is a self-report used for the assessment of personality disorder traits, however, its psychometric characteristics have yet to be tested in community samples of adolescents. The main goal was to analyze the psychometric properties of the PDQ-4+ scores in a large sample of non-clinical adolescents (N = 1,443; M = 15.9 years; SD = 1.2). The PDQ-4+ scores showed adequate psychometric properties. Reliability of the subscales, incorporating a Likert-type 5-point response format, ranged from .62 to .85. The study of the internal structure at item level revealed that the PDQ-4+ subscales were essentially one-dimensional. Analysis of the internal structure at the subscale level by means of exploratory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling yielded a possible three-dimensional solution. The PDQ-4+ subscales correlated moderately with emotional and behavioural variables measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results have clear implications for the understanding of maladaptive personality traits in adolescents.     

The Intimate Relationship Between the McNaughton and the Chinese Remainder Theorems for MV-algebras

We show the intimate relationship between McNaughton Theorem and the Chinese Remaindner Theorem for MV-algebras. We develop a very short and simple proof of McNaughton Theorem. The arguing is elementary and right out of the definitions. We exhibit the theorem as just an instance of the Chinese theorem. Since the variety of MV-algebras is arithmetic, the Chinese theorem holds for MV-algebras. However, to make this paper self-contained and entirely elementary, we include a simple proof of this theorem inspired in Ferraioli and Lettieri (Math Logic Q 1:27–43, 2011).     

Understanding and Integrating Multiple Science Texts: Summary Tasks are Sometimes Better Than Argument Tasks

One of the major challenges of a knowledge society is that students as well as other citizens must learn to understand and integrate information from multiple textual sources. Still, task and reader characteristics that may facilitate or constrain such intertextual processes are not well understood by researchers. In this study, we compare the effects of summary and argument essay tasks when undergraduates read seven different texts on a particular scientific topic, finding that an instruction to write summaries may lead to better understanding and integration than an instruction to write argument essays. We discuss several possible explanations for this result. We also found that beliefs about the certainty of knowledge in some instances can moderate the effect of task on comprehension performance.     

Goal orientations, motivational climate, equality, and discipline of Spanish physical education students

This study analyzes how dispositional goal orientations and perception of different motivational climates are related to the students' perception of sex-related egalitarian treatment and the appearance of disciplined or undisciplined behaviors in physical education classes. Analyses showed that ego orientation is a predictor of undisciplined behavior. Task orientation was positively associated to discipline. The perception of task-involving motivational climate is related to the students' perception of equal treatment. On the contrary, the perception of ego-involving climate has been linked positively to the prediction of the perception of sex discrimination in physical education classes and negatively to the perception of equality and the appearance of disciplined behavior. This study discusses the implications of these results related to teaching instructional actions in physical education classes.