Recent posts
Ryle, A., 2005. Journal Reviews Update Spring 2005. Reformulation, Spring, p.19.
Researched by
Tony Ryle
Sexually Abused Children
Silberg,J.L. (2004) The treatment of dissociation in sexually abused children from a family/attachmemt perspective Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training.
41 4 487-495.
Dissociative self-states in abused children are seen as consequences of parents’ complex mixed reactions, with therapy focusing on alternations of victimizer-victim and rescuer-rescued roles in the child-parent interaction. The common failure to punish abusers is seen as an additional ambiguity on the part of the larger society.
Trauma and Dissociation
Liotti,G.(2004). Trauma, dissociation and disorganized attachment: three strands of a single braid. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training. 41 4 472-486.
The associations between trauma and disturbed attachment patterns and dissociation are carefully reviewed from a cognitive perspective.
PTSD
Ehlers,A., Hackman,A. and Michael,T. (2004) Intrusive re-experiencing in post-traumatic stress disorder: Phenomenology, Theory, and Therapy. Memory, 12 4 403-415.
Most intrusive memories are re-experiences of warning signals of the onset of trauma. Intentional recall is often disjointed and leaves out significant associated features. Treatment needs to incorporate updated knowledge (eg now I realize.) and to teach discrimination between the threats of then and the innocuous triggers of now.
Philosophical Assumptions
Kendler,K.S. (2005) Towards a philosophical structure for psychiatry. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 433-440.
A lucid review of relevant issues. Should clear any residual Cartesian cobwebs away and extinguish any lingering support for biological reductionism. Kendler recommends acceptance of both brain- to- mind and mind- to- brain causality and advocates ‘patchy reductionism’ as the way forward to ‘piecemeal integration’
Who Drops Out of Therapy?
Self,R., Oates, P., Pinnock-Hamilton,T. and Leach,C.(2005).The relationship between social deprivation and unilateral termination (attrition) from psychotherapy at various stages of health care. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice.
Patients of lower socio-economic status are more prone to drop out during the first few sessions. Evaluating outcome studies should take note of this and good practice should seek to overcome this effect (as CAT tries to do).