Alf Nilsson

Behavior in four-year-olds who have experienced hospitalization and day care.

Behavior of 535 four-year-old children was investigated in relation to their earlier experiences of hospitalization and day care. Results show significant behavioral differences between hospitalized and nonhospitalized children who had attended day care, none between those who had not. Repeated hospital admission increased the behavioral differences in the day care children.

Changes in object relations in long-term mentally ill patients treated in a psychiatric day-care unit

The treatment outcome of a psychiatric day-care unit for long-term mentally ill patients was studied. The aim was to investigate internal representations of object relations among the patients at admission and at a one-year follow up. Another aim was to compare the pattern of, and change in, internal object relations with external events, behaviors, social relationships, and overt change. Twenty individuals, both psychotic and nonpsychotic patients admitted during the first five years of the units existence, were included in the study. Instruments used were the Perceptgenetic Object-Relation Test (PORT), the Health-Sickness Rating Scale (HSRS), and qualitative interviews. Patient internal object relations matured during the period of treatment and follow up. The themes in internal object relations were frequently paralleled by similar themes in the individual external life situations. No associations were found between change according to the PORT and the HSRS. This underscores that internal object relat...

Preliminary Findings: An Anglo‐Swedish Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Outcome Study using PORT and DMT

Historically, professionals did not consider that people with learning disabilities could make use of psychoanalytic psychotherapy because of limitations of intelligence (Symington, 1981; Symington, 1993; Sternlicht, 1965). Additionally, many believed that people with learning disabilities enjoyed immunity from emotional stress and psychiatric disturbances (Fletcher, 1993). Maladaptive behaviours were perceived as a manifestation of the condition of learning disability and not as a possible sign of psychiatric disorder or emotional problems. However, over the last decade there has been a growing realisation that people with learning disabilities have emotional problems in the same way as others, but are in some ways more vulnerable to developing psychiatric and psychological disturbances. Psychoanalytic practitioners wishing to undertake outcome research have experienced difficulties in finding a measuring device that understands the subtleties of change in the internal psychological structure over time. PORT and DMT (the Percept‐genetic Object Relation Test and the Defence Mechanism Test) are two projective tests that have been extensively validated in Sweden. This paper explores the use of the PORT and DMT outcome measures in the context of Anglo‐Swedish psychotherapy research.