Seeds of strategic and interactional psychotherapies: seminal contributions of Milton H. Erickson.

The life and work of Milton H. Erickson exerts a considerable influence upon the development of strategic and interactional psychotherapies. In this paper we trace the historical course of Erickson's impact in these areas from his early associations with Gregory Bateson and Margaret Mead through his contributions to the ideologies of Jay Haley and practitioners at the Mental Research Institute. We have identified seven philosophical and methodological realms which represent the incorporation of Ericksonian principles into strategic and interactional family therapy models.

Psychosocial problems among adults with epilepsy.

The psychosocial functioning of adults with epilepsy was evaluated by the administration of the Washington Psychosocial Seizure Inventory, which was given to five groups of patients across the United States. In four of the five samples, the results were indistinguishable from one another, with similar psychosocial problems suggested despite substantially different patient characteristics and referral sources. Emotional, interpersonal, vocational, and financial concerns were most commonly found, as well as difficulties in dealing with seizures. Persons in the fifth sample were selected somewhat differently; they had fewer vocational and financial problems, but were otherwise similar. The results have implications for the study of psychosocial problems in epilepsy and for the establishment of treatment programs.