[Sex as a variable in research in psychotherapy, psychosomatic and medical psychology]. / Geschlecht als Variable der Forschung in Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik und medizinischer Psychologie.

All empirical studies (n = 113) published in "Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, medizinische Psychologie" between 1988 and 1992 where analyzed concerning the question whether sex comparisons in at least one of the dependent variables were reported. The main results were that sex composition of the samples was not reported in 17% of the cases and that 62% of the studies did not report on sex comparisons. Only 25% of studies reported on sex differences in a metric which allows using this study for meta-analysis. Except for sample-size and sex-composition there were no study-features which distinguished between studies reporting or not reporting sex comparisons.

[Crohn disease--addiction--neurosis: comparison of ego functions]. / Morbus Crohn--Sucht--Neurose: Ich-Funktionen im Vergleich.

25 neurotic patients, 25 alcoholics, and 25 patients suffering from Crohn's disease were rated with a german adaption (by Streeck) of Bellak's Ego Function Assessment scales. Crohn's disease patients showed personality characteristics similar to those of patients suffering from psychosomatic illnesses. Ego function disturbances could be found with respect to Introspection as a subfunction of Reality Testing, Creativity and Capacity for Abstraction as a subfunction of Thought Processes. The results indicated a remarkable heterogeneity of the Crohn's-patient group as well as possible influences of gender-specific personality differences in that group.

[Therapeutic factors in psychoanalytic-interactional and depth psychology founded group therapy: an empirical study]. / Therapeutische Faktoren in der psychoanalytisch-interaktionellen und tiefenpsychologisch fundierten Gruppentherapie: Eine empirische Untersuchung.

Depth psychology based and psychoanalytic-interactional group therapy were compared with respect to their therapeutic factors. The comparison was performed in patient groups by using a questionnaire asking for the occurrence and helpfulness of specific behaviour of the therapist and of experiences in the group. About 200 questionnaires for each method were analyzed. It could be shown that (1) discrimination between the methods was more marked concerning therapist's behaviour than experiences with the other group members, (2) that the obtained unspecific factors correspond to results in the literature on group and individual therapy and (3) that those items about the therapists behaviour claimed to be specific for each method did not discriminate these methods in the expected direction.

[Diagnosis of ego functions and object relations based on rating scales]. / Zur Diagnostik von Ich-Funktionen und Objektbeziehungen anhand von Ratingskalen.

This study investigated rater-agreement and the factorial structure of the Rating-Scales for the assessment of object-relations and ego-functions developed by Bellak and coworkers. A subset of the original scales with the modifications and translations performed by Streeck was used, altogether 19 scales consisting of sub-components of seven functions. These were applied in assessing patients with neurotic disorders, alcohol addiction and Crohn's disease (n = 25 each). Rater-agreement was not satisfactory: In almost all scales there were significant differences in central tendency; only in seven scales rater-agreement was adequate, it's height varying for diagnostic groups and functions. Results of factor-analysis showed a two-dimensional structure. Implications for further research with these scales are discussed.

[Psychodynamics of the desire for refertilization in women after sexual sterilization]. / Zur Psychodynamik des Refertilisierungswunsches bei sterilisierten Frauen.

From October 1979 to April 1982 forty two women with previous tubal ligations presented themselves at the Centre for Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Giessen with a high desire of restoration of their fertility. With questionaires and partly structured interviews these women were evaluated at the Centre for Psychosomatic Medicine in Giessen. The results largely confirm previous findings known in the literature regarding the background of tubal ligations in women with desire for restoration of fertility. Most of the patients (N = 37) had the sterilization performed under conditions which are known to have an adverse prognostic effect such as sterilization for medical indications in ten women, sterilization during a marital crisis in eighteen women, and sterilization in conjunction with a therapeutic abortion, confinement or a gynaecological operation in twenty eight women. The psychodynamics of women with a desire for restoration of fertility show two main groups. First: in twenty five women a sterilization and desire for restoration of fertility are an effort to resolve a specific conflict in their marital relationship inasmuch as a new infant should serve as a bonding function and documentation of the new partnership. Second: in sixteen patients sterilization and desire for refertilization are a symptom of an unresolved conflict of the role as woman and mother. The new infant or the restoration of fertility should eliminate the narcistic deficit suffered by the sterilization or restore the self esteem which suffered a female identity blow by the sterilization. Implications of these findings for the counselling practice are discussed.

PIP: Between October 1979-April 1982, 42 women with previous tubal ligations presented at the Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology in Giessen with a request for sterilization reversal. With questionnaires and partly structured interviews, these women were evaluated at the Center for Psychosomatic Medicine in Giessen. The results conform largely with previous findings in the literature with regard to tubal ligation in women who desire a restoration of fertility. Most of the patients (N=37) had their sterilizations performed under conditions which are considered to have an adverse prognosis--sterilization for medical indications in 10 women; sterilization during a marital crisis in 18 women; and sterilization in conjunction with a therapeutic abortion or confinement, or a gynecological surgery in 28 women. The psychodynamics of these women shows them to fall into 2 main groups. For 25 women, the sterilization and the desire for reversal are an effort to resolve a specific conflict in their marriages inasmuch as an infant will serve as a bond for the couple and documentation of the partnership. In the group of 16 women, sterilization and desire for reversal are a symptom of an unresolved conflict with regard to their roles as mother and woman. The new infant or the reversal of sterilization should eliminate the narcissistic deficit resulting from the sterilization and restore the self-esteem which suffered a severe blow at the time of sterilization. The implications of these findings for the practice of counseling are discussed. (author's modified)

[Psychic and medical reactions in patients undergoing open heart surgery in relation to preoperative psychological condition]. / Psychische und körperliche Reaktionen bei Patienten der offenen Herzchirurgie in Abhängigkeit von präoperativen psychischen Befunden.

This study reports some results on the postoperative psychological and medical condition of 72 open-heart surgery patients. Special emphasis is placed on the relationship between the postoperative reactions and the preoperative psychological condition of the patients as assessed by an interview. Patients whose postoperative reactions was of a psychotic paranoid type conceived the operation as a mainly technical event and had optimistic expectations for the future. Patients who reacted in a hostile aggressive manner after the operation were preoperatively emotionally withdrawn and depressive inhibited. As far as the postoperative physical condition is concerned it was found that patients with the best recovery in this respect were preoperatively characterized by alexithymia. The results are discussed under psychonalytical aspects. Special emphasis is placed on the preoperative condition of alexithymia.

[An alcohol contact program: training for increased security of alcoholics in trial situations]. / Das Alkoholkontaktprogramm: ein Training zur Erhohung der sicherheit Alkoholkranker in Versuchungs-Situationen.

Alcoholics who have taken the decision to abstain are known to develop, partially out of fear of a relapse, an almost phobic avoidance behaviour towards situations where alcoholic drinks may be proffered. Starting from this observation a four-hour behavioural programme, involving modeling and the discussion of appropriate behaviour, was developed to prepare patients for such situations. The two methods resulted in equally highly significant improvement, as measured both by self-assessment and by the assessment of independent observers.

[Alcoholism in women]. / Alkoholismus bei fraugen

The present survey of empirical studies of female alcholism considers firstly questions concerning the prevalence of female alcoholism. Empirical findings on the psychopathology, the development and course of female alcoholism, partner relationships and problems in female identification of these patients are described and discussed with regard to their informative value. It is shown that most of the present empirical results contribute little to a more refined understanding of female alcoholism and that they also have little relevance to the development of special therapeutic approaches. Finally basic reasons for this state of affairs are discussed together with suggestions for further research.