H. Boker et al., Personality and object relations in patients with affective disorders: idiographic research by means of the repertory grid technique, J AFFECT D, 60(1), 2000, pp. 53-59
Background: This paper presents an idiographic approach to evaluate the sel
f concept and the self-object-relationship of patients suffering from affec
tive disorders. Methods: Significant dimensions of the personality and the
object relations of 127 depressive patients and 34 orthopaedic patients wer
e investigated with the repertory grid-technique. The self concept and the
object relations were: compared by means of nomothetically used idiographic
results after recovery from manifest depression. Results: 'Low self esteem
' was frequently found in patients with a long lasting course of illness an
d the ICD-10-diagnoses of 'bipolar affective disorder' and 'dysthymia'. The
object relations of the depressive sample were characterised by the dimens
ion 'symbiotic near'; 'ambivalent' and 'indifferent' partnership relationsh
ips were found much more frequently in the controls. Conclusions: The idiog
raphic results help to differentiate the spectrum of affective disorders. T
hey underline the importance of the interpersonal dimension of depression a
nd may be used as a basis of a therapeutic appraisal. Limitations: The repe
rtory grid-technique may not be used as a diagnostic instrument. However, t
he combination of idiographic results with further clinical informations en
ables the multidimensional assessment of the self concept and psychosocial
coping mechanisms. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.