Self-image and degree of severity of mental disorder.
Analysis of patient’s self-image profiles gave three clear profile types in selection: patients with a
- Critical and judgemental relation to themselves
- Strong degree of self-control
- Accepting and appreciative relation to themselves
Patient group a had higher degrees of psychological problems (symptoms, interpersonal problems and personality disorders). Patient group b had a less serious problems and patient group c had more limited and even less serious problems.
See publication nr. 14.
Monsen, J.T., von der Lippe, A.L., Havik,O.E., Halvorsen, M. & Eilertsen, D.E. (2007). Validation of the SASB introject surface in a Norwegian clinical and non-clinical sample. Journal of Personality Assessment., 88, 235-245
Self-image and change in psychotherapy
Patients with these different self-image types appear also to have different development progressions in therapy. The results show that patients with a critical and judgemental relation to themselves (type a) change more than patients with less serious self-image issues. A vital factor here is that the worst patients received treatment over a relatively long time (average 40 hours).
Patients with an accepting and appreciative relation to themselves (type c) appear to have good prognosis for change through relatively short therapies.
Generally the results show a change in the direction of a more positive and appreciative self-image, and that these changes hold stable two years after the end of therapy.
Other attributes of the patients, such as gender, age, duration of problems, social relations, and expectation of changes, appear to explain little with regards to alteration of self-image under therapy. The results however suggest that greater weight of symptom with start of therapy, higher expectations of development, and female gender, can be related to greater alteration in self-image under therapy.
See publication nr. 12 og nr. 13.
Halvorsen, M. S. (2006). Self-Image and Psychotherapy: Measurement, Predictor, and Outcome Issues. Doctoral thesis, University of Oslo, Norway.
Halvorsen, M.S. & Monsen, J.T. (2007). Self-image as a moderator of change in psychotherapy. Psychotherapy Research ,17,205-217