Psychological Assessment of Catatonic Schizophrenia

Abstract

Probably due to the rarity of the disorder and the general inability of catatonic patients to cooperate with standardized assessment, no data exist documenting the psychological features associated with catatonic schizophrenia that may appear on psychological tests. This study utilized standard assessment techniques to examine clinical hypotheses regarding the psychogenic correlates of catatonic conditions from the performance of one man on psychological tests. In accordance with previous theory, test findings indicated frequent constriction, rigidity, and negativism in conjunction with compulsive traits. Experiences of cognitive and self-fragmentation were juxtaposed with a formal, mechanistic body ego; disorganization and discontinuity were countered with attempts at self-cohesion. Depressed feelings and human interest were apparent, although interpersonal relatedness was frequently characterized by an avoidant, distancing style.

Ego Constriction

“…Examining the 29 ego constriction references, a slightly different picture emerges. Twenty-two articles (Berg and Berg, 1983;Bernabeu, 1958;Blum, 1968;Curran and Marengo, 1990;Dor-Shav, 1978;Kepecs and Robin, 1956;Leenars, 1999Leenars, , 1997Leenars, , 1991Leenars, , 1990Leenars, , 1989aLeenars, , 1989bLeenars and Lester, 1990;Leenars, De Wilde, Wenckstern, and Kral, 2001;Motanky and Zaks, 1971;Polansky, Boone, DeSaix, and Sharlin, 1971;Puyser, 1977;Ratna and Murthy, 1970;Shows, Gentry, and Wyrick, 1974;Sudak, Corradi, Martin, and Gold, 1984;Wells, 1988;Wyrick, Gentry, and Shows, 1977) used ego constriction in a descriptive and general sense. Of these, the eight papers by Leenar and colleagues (see references above) used ego constriction as synonymous with general cognitive constriction; and similarly Polansky et al (1971) used ego constriction to mean intellectual constriction.…”

“…Of these, the eight papers by Leenar and colleagues (see references above) used ego constriction as synonymous with general cognitive constriction; and similarly Polansky et al (1971) used ego constriction to mean intellectual constriction. Five articles (Berg and Berg, 1983;Bernabeu, 1958;Blum, 1968;Puyser, 1977;Sudak et al, 1984) used the term to indicate general ''neurotic constriction''; three (Kepecs and Robin, 1956;Motanky and Zaks, 1971;Wells, 1988) took ego constriction to mean general ''emotional constriction''; and two each discussed ''social constriction'' (Shows et al, 1974 andWyrick et al, 1977) and the constriction seen in schizophrenia (Curran and Marengo, 1990;Ratna and Murthy, 1970). Finally Dor-Shav (1978) alluded to ''constriction of personality''.…”