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Psychic Structure: Exploring an Empirically Still Unknown TerritoryDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Clinic of Harlaching, Municipal Hospitals, Ltd, psychosomatik_klug{at}khmh.de
Medical Superintendent, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Clinic of Harlaching, Municipal Hospitals, Ltd., Clinic and Outpatient Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich The Scales of Psychological Capacities (SPC) were developed to gauge structural change, the mode-specific effect of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapies. In this study, as a first step, basic psychometric properties that assess psychic structure were examined. Construct validity was investigated as predictive validity in a known-groups approach. Two predictions were formulated: (1) there are differences in psychic structure between borderline patients, depressive patients, and healthy controls that are verified by the SPC, and (2) borderline patients show inconsistent and divergent self- and object representations most frequently, followed by depressive patients and, finally, by healthy controls, a fact reflected by the SPC. These scales were applied to a sample of 33 borderline patients, 36 depressed women, and 36 healthy controls. Both predictions were confirmed. Thus, empirical evidence is provided of the SPC being a valid measure for assessing psychic structure.
Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, Vol. 57, No. 1,
149-173 (2009) |
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