Ego function assessment of the psychoanalytic process

Pressing needs for objective and rapid clinical assessment of the psychoanalytic process are emerging in the current climate of social and medical change. The Ego Function assessment (EFA) method is presented as an available, valid, and reliable quantitative technique which can be used by clinicians for such objective evaluations. EFA formulations are dynamically highly relevant. They are directly derived from psychoanalytic theory and practice.     

On the nature of attachment in a borderline population: a preliminary investigation

Analyses of interpersonal behavior within a borderline population usually focus on object relations variables. In contrast, this preliminary research focuses on the nature of attachment styles and its relation to behavioral pathology. 24 hospitalized borderline patients were administered an Attachment Style Inventory and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory. Analysis confirms predicted differences in attachment style between the borderline and normal control samples as well as indicates that a dependent style of attachment within this borderline sample is associated with less pathology than an avoidant, hostile, or resistant/ambivalent style. The implications of this preliminary work for full-scale research are addressed.     

Evaluation of a finger prompt variation in the treatment of pediatric feeding disorders

Children with feeding disorders often engage in refusal behavior to escape or avoid eating. Escape extinction combined with reinforcement is a well-established intervention to treat food refusal. Physical guidance procedures (e.g., jaw prompt, finger prompt) have been shown to increase food acceptance and decrease inappropriate mealtime behavior when more commonly employed escape extinction (e.g., nonremoval of the spoon) procedures are ineffective. The finger prompt, however, has not been extensively evaluated as a treatment adjunct to target food refusal, thus necessitating further examination. The purpose of this prospective study was to assess a variation of a finger prompt procedure to treat food refusal and to assess caregivers' acceptability of the procedure. Three children age 1 to 4 years admitted to an intensive feeding disorders program and their caregivers participated. The finger prompt was effective in increasing bite acceptance across all participants and decreasing or maintaining low levels of inappropriate behavior for 2 participants. The procedure was also acceptable to all caregivers.     

Pathways to violence in the children of mothers who were depressed postpartum

The impact of postnatal depression on a child's risk for violent behavior was evaluated in an urban British community sample (N=122 families). Mothers were interviewed during pregnancy, at 3 months postpartum, and when the child was 1, 4, and 11 years of age. Mothers, teachers, and children reported on violent symptoms at age 11. Structural equation modeling revealed that the child's violence was predicted by the mother's postnatal depression even when her depression during pregnancy, her later history of depression, and family characteristics were taken into account. Violence was associated with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and problems with anger management. Children were most violent if mothers had been depressed at 3 months and at least once thereafter.     

Core conflictual relationship themes of men and women who are violent toward their partners

The Core Conflictual Relationship Themes of men and women violent toward their partners and entering psychotherapy, students violent toward their partners, and nonviolent students (n = 84; n = 14 in each of the six groups) were compared. Men and women entering psychotherapy more often had negative Wish elements than others. The wish element was "to be loved" for 11 of the 14 student women violent toward their partners and 5 of the 14 nonviolent student women.