Partizipationsverhalten schizophren erkrankter Patienten in Psychoedukationsgruppen

Background

The effectiveness of psychoeducation groups for people with schizophrenia is well documented; however, there are no studies which examined patient participation behavior although this behavior might be critical for accomplishment of the therapeutic goals. This article presents newly developed 4-point Likert scale, the participation quality rating scale (PQRS), together with initial results on practicability, validity, change sensitivity, sociodemographic and clinical correlates and on the question whether participation quality might be a significant predictor of the short and long-term outcome of psychoeducation.

Patient and methods

Within the framework of the Munich Study “Cognitive Determinants of Psychoeducation and Information in Schizophrenic Psychoses” (COGPIP) the individual participation behavior of 97 patients with schizophrenia was examined after each psychoeducational group session (4 weeks). Individual mean PQRS scores were correlated with sociodemographic, anamnestic and clinical variables. In addition to change sensitivity the ability of the scale to predict the acquisition of illness knowledge during psychoeducation was examined as well as readmission during a 9-month follow-up period and the psychopathological endpoint (positive and negative syndrome scale, PANSS).

Results

Practicability and change sensitivity of the PQRS were found to be sufficient. Significant correlations with independently rated illness insight and medication compliance indicated a construct validity of the scale. Higher age, female sex and less pronounced psychopathological symptoms (PANSS) were associated with better participation behavior. Even patients with clearly impaired participation behavior profited from psychoeducation in that they were able to catch up with the delay with regard to illness knowledge. However, the PQRS was not a predictor of readmission during the 9-month follow-up period or of psychopathological endpoints.

Conclusions

The PQRS is qualified as a new tool for the standardized assessment of participation behavior in people with schizophrenia attending psychoeducation groups. The scale can be applied in research as well as clinical contexts in order to further improve understanding of how psychoeducation works and how this kind of supplementary therapy could become even more effective.     

Politische und soziale Verantwortung von Psychotherapeuten

Psychotherapists should always continuously remind themselves what role they and/or representatives of their discipline played and still play in various political contexts. Under these aspects the following general categories can be suitable for orientation: 1) general political participation, 2) application of specific psychotherapeutic perspectives for understanding of cultural, social and political processes and 3) development of possible activity perspectives from a psychotherapeutic viewpoint. The psychotherapeutic view of social processes and the possible resulting activity perspectives are a consequence of observation of the interplay between exactly these social processes and their deposition in the individual.     

The Predictive Power of Combined Neuropsychological Measures for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children

The present study explores the predictive power of seven neuropsychological assessment tools used in combination in classifying children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Twenty-one ADHD boys and 22 community control children participated. Group differences were significant on the continuous performance test only; however, battery analysis did increase overall predictive power, which was moderate. This study highlights the difficulty in identifying consistent mean differences on tests of frontal/executive functioning across studies, as well as the need to assess the predictive validity of these tests in classifying children with ADHD. The study suggests that these tests may provide greater predictive validity when used in combination. Inconsistencies in the literature are discussed, with consideration of research methodology, the heterogeneity of the ADHD population, and comorbid diagnoses.     

Transitional Experiences of New Teachers in Christian Schools: A Case Study

Little is known concerning the transitional experiences of teachers in Christian schools. The present paper reports the results of a case study focused on the transitional experiences of new teachers, both beginning and experienced, in selected Christian Schools in Australia. Twenty-one new teachers from ten Christian Schools were interviewed concerning their transitional experiences. Results of the study indicated that these teachers' transitional experiences were inhibited by a lack of formal and effective transitional structures and processes. However, the supportive environment of the schools did appear to counter-balance somewhat the deleterious effects of less-than-adequate transition management practices. The paper suggests that a more systematic approach to transition management in Australian Christian schools is warranted.     

THE BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF A PROCEDURE USED BY PEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS

Pediatric occupational therapists often use specific activities associated with deep pressure touch as a modality when providing services based in sensory integration theory. This study investigated the effects of these activities contingent on choice responding. Initially, preference assessments identified that activities such as being swaddled in a blanket or sandwiched between halves of a therapy mat were potential reinforcers for each of the three participants. Then, the stimuli were presented contingently under a two‐response concurrent schedule. The results suggested that for each participant, the application of these activities functioned as a positive reinforcer. Given that such activities are often used in pediatric occupational therapy interventions, the clinical implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preliminary Findings from a Qualitative Study of Trauma Survivors in Treatment: Changes in Personal Narratives

This article seeks to document the characteristics and themes of later trauma recovery using a grounded theory analysis of interviews with trauma survivors enrolled in outpatient treatment. Little research exists that speaks to patients’ own accounts of the process of trauma recovery. Such accounts might elucidate how psychotherapy helps survivors make and remake meaning of their lives, their experience of traumatic events, and the resources they might call on in psychotherapy to secure recovery. This study examined narrative material gathered in a series of interviews with trauma survivors (n?=?14) who had been in treatment for an average of 8 months and could be described as in a later phase of the recovery process. Two significant themes emerged from the analysis: (a) greater coherence to the trauma narrative, and (b) the emergence of a more reflective and observational stance with respect to one's history. Implications for trauma-informed therapy are discussed.     

Performance on a measure of category fluency in cognitively impaired elderly

ABSTRACT

Measures of verbal fluency are widely used in the assessment of cognitive functioning of the elderly. However, limited research has evaluated patterns (across specific timed intervals) of performance on tasks of language fluency in different forms of dementia. The current study investigated semantic fluency in 488 elderly individuals (249 with Alzheimer's dementia, 97 Vascular dementia, 97 Mild Cognitive Impairment and 45 cognitively intact) across 15-second intervals in an animal naming task using retrospective chart review. Normal controls produced significantly more exemplars and AD patients produced fewer animal names than the other groups. After the first 15- second time interval, the demented groups produced significantly fewer exemplars than the non-demented. At the end of 30 seconds it was possible to differentiate normal aging from MCI who no longer differed from the VaD group. Overall, it appears that the greatest and most clinically meaningful differences between the diagnostic groups were detected in the first three 15-second intervals. The present findings support the use of time intervals and total scores on tasks of verbal fluency in clinical settings and for research purposes.     

DOUBLE-VOICE IN S. Y. AGNON'S “HANIDAḤ”: OVERTURES TO A DEVELOPING DISCOURSE

It is widely acknowledged that S.Y. Agnon's story, “Hanida?” (1919), represents a significant artistic transition for the author. Beyond the transitional and inaugural aspects of the story's themes and structure, I wish to consider how its discursive style itself constitutes a significant development in Agnon's literary work. Particular qualities in the story's narrative discourse, more so than in his previous work, anticipate Agnon's later literary achievements. Drawing on Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of discourse in the novel, I will also seek to demonstrate how the story's dialogic, polyphonic qualities, not only anticipate these later works, but suggest some new hermeneutic avenues to reading Agnon.     

Extreme Versatility Versus Paucity of Play Interest

Abstract

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