Facets of Object Representation: Process and Outcome Over the Course of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

The goal of the present study was to explore the relationship between patients' object relational functioning (Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale‐Global Ratings) as rated by clinicians during the course of outpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy in a university‐based clinic and patient self‐reported interpersonal vulnerabilities (Inventory of Interpersonal Problems‐64). Participants (n = 112) were outpatients entering treatment at a university‐based psychotherapy clinic and were diagnosed primarily with mood disorders as well as Axis II relational problems and features. Participants completed the IIP‐64 prior to receiving therapy, and SCORS‐G ratings were based on patients' level of relational functioning during the evaluation process (i.e., the semistructured interview, follow‐up and feedback) and across the first two psychotherapy sessions. Results showed a significant relationship between the IIP‐64 Total score with SCORS‐GSelf‐Esteem (r = −.21, p < .05) and Affective Quality of Representations (r = −.20, p < .05), wherein self‐reported interpersonal dysfunction was greater among patients who had lower self‐worth and perceived others as more malevolent. These findings suggest that patients who rated themselves as having more significant interpersonal difficulty reported more negative expectations and experiences of relationships in their psychotherapy narratives. The utility of the SCORS‐G and the IIP‐64 as two different avenues of assessing patient relational functioning is explored.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Examining the relationship between object relations and interpersonal distress in a clinical sample

Cain

Hilsenroth

2020

“…Additionally, as mentioned previously, the present study did not examine therapy outcomes. However, other studies from our laboratory have demonstrated broad-based therapy outcome changes across a variety of domains (Katz & Hilsenroth, 2017;Kuutmann & Hilsenroth, 2012;Levy, Hilsenroth, & Owen, 2015;Mullin et al, 2016;Mullin, Hilsenroth, Gold, & Farber, 2018;;Pitman & Hilsenroth, 2016). It is worth noting that these studies utilized subsamples that overlap significantly with the patients examined in the current study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

What interpersonal problems are related to different therapeutic techniques early in treatment?

McMillen

Hilsenroth

2019

Self Cite

The current study seeks to explore the relationship between patient-reported interpersonal problems and therapist interventions in early psychodynamic psychotherapy for 71 outpatients. Pretreatment ratings on the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scales (IIP-C) total and subscale scores were examined in relation to early treatment process. Independent clinicians reliably rated therapist use of psychodynamic-interpersonal (PI) and cognitive-behavioural (CB) interventions using the Comparative Psychotherapy Process Scale (CPPS) over two early treatment sessions (third and ninth). Intraclass correlation (ICC) values were in the excellent range for CPPS-PI and CPPS-CB scale scores (CPPS-PI = 0.86; CPPS-CB = 0.78). A significant positive correlation was found between interpersonal problems and global PI therapist technique. A significant positive correlation was also found between interpersonal problems and specific PI interventions, most significantly experience and expression of feelings in session. In specific interpersonal problem subscales, most significant was that Cold/Distant and Socially Inhibited octants positively related to global PI and to specific PI techniques, including exploration of uncomfortable feelings. Multiple regression analyses revealed most significantly that CPPS Intervention 7 (discussion of patient-therapist relationship; positive) and CPPS Intervention 11 (therapist explanation of rationale behind treatment; negative) explained 15.6% of variance in interpersonal problem score. These findings demonstrate that the use of psychodynamic techniques tend to occur alongside patient-reported interpersonal problems early in psychotherapy treatment. Clinical implications are discussed for this area of research, and future directions are explored.

“…The SCORS‐G has shown good to excellent reliability when used to rate semistructured interview data, TAT narratives, early memories narratives, dream narratives and other clinical data such as psychotherapy session material (cf. Mullin, Hilsenroth, Gold, & Farber, 2018; Stein, Hilsenroth, Slavin‐Mulford, & Pinsker, 2011). The SCORS‐G ratings were based on the clinician's interactions with the patient both in therapy and on the unit.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between prototype ratings of personality and self and interpersonal functioning with an adolescent inpatient sample

Haggerty

Esang

Salaheldin

et al. 2020

Personality pathology is conceptualized, in part, as impairments in self and interpersonal functioning. Although most of the research has focused on adult samples, fewer have looked at this relationship in adolescent samples. This paper investigates the relationship between clinician‐rated personality prototypes, the Shedler–Westen Assessment Procedure‐Prototype Matching Adolescent Version (SWAP‐A‐P) derived from the SWAP‐II‐A, and a measure of self and interpersonal functioning, the Social Cognition and Object Relation Scale‐Global Rating (SCORS‐G). Clinicians rated 66 adolescents hospitalized at a safety net teaching hospital in the northeast. The patient's individual and group therapist rated the patients at discharge using the SWAP‐A‐P and the SCORS‐G at discharge blind to each other's ratings. Results showed that more severe personality pathology was linked with more impairments in self and interpersonal functioning.