RESUMO
The authors stress the importance of differentiated, detailed psychopathologic theory with use of differentiated psychopathological dictionary. With practical use it can not compete with simple scales, inclusion and exclusion criteria, with operational techniques. It has only limited use in research, which must respect scientific principles. But it can bring the scientists nearer to understanding of "what" is psychosis and "what" is neurosis, and so on: so it favours "what" to "how".
Assuntos
Transtornos Neuróticos/diagnóstico , Psicolinguística , Transtornos Psicóticos/diagnóstico , Diagnóstico Diferencial , HumanosRESUMO
The authors elaborated a brief questionnaire of mental health of old people. They discuss the the suitability of the self-evaluating part of the questionnaire for detection of mental disorders. Hundred and forty subjects above 65 years of age were examined: living in their homes or hospitalized at the psychiatric clinic. The mean score of the self-evaluating part of the questionnaire in the group of healthy and mentally ill differs significantly. The sensitivity of the self-evaluating part for the non-differentiated group of patients is 62.07% and the specificity is 73.08%. Self-evaluation with the best reliability differentiates from healthy subjects the group of depressive patients (sensitivity 82.76%). It was revealed that self-evaluation can help also with detection of dementia (sensitivity (61.11%). An enhanced discriminating sensitivity of the questionnaire is expected from a combination of self-evaluation with items expressing objective evaluation. The authors emphasize the possibility to entrust the questionnaire to paramedical workers, and its non-pretentious character which makes it suitable for old people.
Assuntos
Avaliação Geriátrica , Transtornos Mentais/diagnóstico , Idoso , Humanos , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
A high occurrence of magical contents is usually described as one of the characteristic manifestations of schizophrenic thinking. In the literature there is no agreement on the question whether quantitative intensification of the norm or qualitatively different magic contents are involved. The authors selected five best known superstitions and elaborated a 15-item examination implement affecting magical manifestations in three components of the psyche, i.e. in the cognitive, behavioral and affective one. The results obtained in a group of 45 patients affected with schizophrenia were compared with those obtained in the control group of 189 subjects. A significantly higher production was recorded in the control group. Contrary to the behavioral and affectivity components, no significant differences were found in the number of positive responses in the cognitive component. The obtained results corroborate the justification of distinguishing categories of magical thinking in normal and pathologic conditions.