Manic Indices on the Rorschach

Abstract

This study examined signs of mania on the Rorschach, specifically whether manic inpatients (n = 24) produce different thematic content and thought disorder than comparison groups of paranoid schizophrenic (n = 27) and schizoaffective (n = 25) inpatients. Rorschach protocols were scored by a trained rater for the Thought Disorder Index and the Schizoid-Affective Rating Scale. Results indicated that all 3 groups had moderate levels of thought disorder, but the manic inpatients produced significantly more combinatory thinking and affective content responses than the other 2 groups. The paranoid schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients did not produce significantly more schizoid content and were not different on any other types of thought disorder than the manic patients. These findings are discussed in terms of the contribution of thought disorder and affective thematic content in making the diagnosis of mania on the Rorschach.

Personality and Psychopathology

“…This is consistent with the expectation that the type of thought disorder produced would be characteristic of hypomanic-like states and not other types of thought disorder Shenton et al 1987;Khadivi et al 1997).…”

“…Overall, this finding supports the hypothesis that the thematic content of Rorschach responses produced, as a result of the experimental manipulation, would selectively be characteristic of hypomanic-like responses and not characteristic of other kinds of psychological states (Khadivi et al 1997). …”

“…It can reveal an individual's subjective states including perceptual, cognitive, and associational processes, from which inferences can be made regarding underlying characteristics of specific personality types and discrete mental states. It has been shown that individuals in a hypomanic-like state experience exposure to Rorschach cards in unique ways, and give correspondingly unique sets of responses that reveal thought processes and content that is unique to hypomanic experience Shenton et al 1987;Khadivi et al 1997). In an autobiographical account of what this experience is like Jamison (1995) writes:…”

Troubles bipolaires et Rorschach : état de la question

“…Cette étude a fait l'objet d'un suivi prospectif Solovay et al, 1987) qui confirme les données antérieures et précise quelques éléments qualitatifs concernant les productions maniaques combinatoires. Cette description sera reprise et complétée par Khadivi et al (1997) et Petot (1999 qui insistent sur les caractéristiques ludiques, fantaisistes, désinvoltes et humoristiques des productions maniaques. Donnelly et al (1975) comparent 16 bipolaires et 13 unipolaires hospitalisés en phase de dépression.…”

Rating and quantification of manic syndromes

“…This projective technique has recently come back into vogue and the characteristics of manic patients compared with schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients have been published. Manic patients obtain higher scores in combinatory thought and in affective responses (16).…”