Introduction: The first part of the article presented an overview of research projects focused on... more Introduction: The first part of the article presented an overview of research projects focused on psychotherapy in Poland. The second part demonstrates results of a study conducted amongst Polish psychotherapists in 2012. Material and methods: A total of 1196 persons conducting psychotherapy in Poland fully completed a nationwide online survey (or, alternatively, a paper and pencil enquiry) concerning their education, training, experience, and clinical work. The results are compared with findings of similar studies from other countries. Results: Among the primary findings were: (1) psychotherapy in Poland is conducted mostly by women (80%); (2) almost all therapists have an MA degree, including 75.2% having graduated in psychology; (3) the psychotherapists are well trained (mean number of training hours is above 942) and established (average experience is about 9.8 years); (4) more than half of the therapists have no type of certificate; (5) 54% of respondents identify with the integrative or eclectic orientation and, simultaneously, for 48.6% of the therapists the most important approach is either psy-chodynamic or psychoanalytic; (6) the most common form of therapy is individual psychotherapy in private practice; (7) the majority of the therapists treat adult patients with anxiety or personality disorders. Conclusions: The results show that psychotherapeutic practice is well established in Poland and many indices are similar to those found in Western countries. Psychiatry 2017; 14, 2: 90–100
The first part of the article presents an overview of the research on the practice of psychothera... more The first part of the article presents an overview of the research on the practice of psychotherapy in Poland. Authors found 5 research projects that were focused on empirical verification of questions of who and how conducts psychotherapy in Poland. This review demonstrates that the knowledge in this area is limited because the analyzed research projects are outdated and based on small samples. Authors point out that there are results based on large samples on psychotherapeutic practice in such countries like USA, Great Britain, Australia, Argentina, China, Germany, Norway. The article ends with the conclusion that there is a need of knowledge concerning the Polish psychotherapy scene and this need can be fulfilled by the research project conducted in 2012 among persons offering psychotherapy in Poland. The results of this project are presented in the second part of this work.
Tekst opisuje Skalę Niespójności Ja (SN-Ja). Wysokie wyniki uzyskiwane w tym kwestionariuszu ozna... more Tekst opisuje Skalę Niespójności Ja (SN-Ja). Wysokie wyniki uzyskiwane w tym kwestionariuszu oznaczają, że osoba badana ma niski poziom integracji struktury Ja. Istnieje wiele sposobów rozumienia i pomiaru integracji Ja. Prezentowany kwestionariusz bazuje na definicji, według której integracja Ja oznacza postrzeganie siebie jako osoby posiadającej takie same cechy osobowości w różnych rolach społecznych. Opierając się na dwóch istniejących narzędziach - Blocka (1961) oraz Robertsa i Donahue (1994) - stworzono dwie wersje równoległe kwestionariusza. Skonstruowano je na podstawie badania wersją eksperymentalną kwestionariusza (N=317), a wersje ostateczne zweryfikowano psychometrycznie na niezależnej próbie testowej (N=94). W SN-Ja-7 zadaniem osoby badanej jest ocena na 7-stopniowej skali Likerta nasilenia 7 cech w odniesieniu do 5 ról społecznych. Właściwości psychometryczne sugerują przydatność obu wersji w badaniach naukowych.
ABSTRACT The paper proposes the model of discursive mind and describes the cognitive architecture... more ABSTRACT The paper proposes the model of discursive mind and describes the cognitive architecture of the dialogically structured mind. The model draws on Hermans’ (1999) theory of the dialogical self (DS) and Wertsch’s (1991) vision of mind as a “tool kit” with socio-cultural instruments, and also on the socio-cognitive approach to personality in experimental psychology. An I-position is understood here as an active totality of experience, shaped in a particular social context and represented in a separate representation module. Th ere are many modules in the mind because in the course of socialization, the individual comes across many different social contexts. Th e described model and its preliminary empirical verification not only gives support to the DS theory, but can also be a leverage of its contribution to general theories of mind stemming from other theoretical traditions
This brief report presents group processes and the treatment protocol of intensive, transdiagnost... more This brief report presents group processes and the treatment protocol of intensive, transdiagnostic group cognitive-behavior therapy for anxiety with comorbid personality disorders in a day clinic. It describes the history of and rationale for the development of this 3-month, 15-hour a week group treatment and the utilization of group processes during this therapy. The authors argue that the group format presented here allows the treatment of personality disorders that are frequently comorbid with anxiety disorders.
The paper is aimed at finding answers to the following questions: (1) Is there empirical evidence... more The paper is aimed at finding answers to the following questions: (1) Is there empirical evidence for the psychoanalytic concept of transference? (2) Is there empirical evidence for the usefulness of working with transference in psychotherapy? Objections concerning the reality and practical value of transference have been summarized. A review of research dedicated to transference has been conducted, covering fundamental research in the psychology of social cognition as well as research on psychotherapy using both psychodynamic and nonpsychodynamic approaches. Studies from the first group confirm the existence of transference. Studies from the second group indicate conditions in which working with transference in psychotherapy seems to be efficient. Implications for psychotherapy practice have been formulated.
Background: Psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral group therapies are frequently applied in day ... more Background: Psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral group therapies are frequently applied in day hospitals for the treatment of anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive or personality disorders in Poland and other Eastern European countries. Yet there is not enough evidence as to their effectiveness in this environment; this study addresses this gap. The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of these two kinds of day treatment care consisting of intensive, short-term group psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapy, for patients with anxiety disorders and/or comorbid depressive or personality disorders. Our objectives are to: 1) show the effectiveness of each treatment in a day-care setting relative to the wait-list control group; 2) demonstrate the relative short- and long-term effectiveness of the two active treatments; 3) carry out a preliminary examination of the predictors and moderators of treatment response; 4) carry out a preliminary examination of the mediators of therapeutic change; and 5) compare the impact of both methods of treatment on the outcome of the measures used in this study. Methods/Design: In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 199 patients with anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive and/or personality disorders will be assigned to one of three conditions: 1) psychodynamic group therapy; 2) cognitive-behavioral group therapy; or 3) wait-list control group. The therapy will last 12 weeks. Both treatments will be manualized (the manuals will address comorbidity). Primary outcome measures will include self-reported symptoms of anxiety, observer-rated symptoms of anxiety, global improvement, and recovery rate. Secondary outcome measures will include the number of pathological personality traits, depression, self-esteem, defense mechanisms, beliefs about self and others, interpersonal problems, object relations, parental bonding, meta-cognition, and quality of life. Measures will be taken at baseline, post-treatment, and at six months following the end of therapy. Discussion: The rationale is to investigate how effectively anxiety disorders and/or comorbid depressive or personality disorders can be treated in a day hospital setting, typical of the Polish health care system, during a three-month treatment period. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02126787, registered on 28 April 2014.
Purpose
Short-term group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) with weekly homogeneous group sessio... more Purpose Short-term group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) with weekly homogeneous group sessions for treating specific anxiety disorders is relatively well developed and recognized. However, 12 weeks of intensive daily therapy for mixed anxiety and personality disorders is not. The current article aims to fill this gap by presenting the method of intensive transdiagnostic GCBT for anxiety disorders with comorbid personality disorders in a day hospital setting. Preliminary studies showed that participants exhibited significant improvement during this type of treatment. Conclusions This article reviews the advantages of group therapy that is transdiagnostic over the homogeneous group and individual therapy formats. Practice Implications The detailed description of the current therapeutical program may facilitate the development of similar programs in day clinic settings.
Alcohol and Alcoholism pp. 1 – 7, 2014, doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agu099
Aims: Growing data reveals deficits in perception, understanding and regulation of emotions in al... more Aims: Growing data reveals deficits in perception, understanding and regulation of emotions in alcohol dependence (AD). The study objective was to explore the relationships between emotional processing, drinking history and relapse in a clinical sample of alcohol-dependent patients.
Methods: A group of 80 inpatients entering an alcohol treatment program in Warsaw, Poland was recruited and assessed at baseline and follow-up after 12 months. Baseline information about demographics, psychopathological symptoms, personality and severity of alcohol problems was obtained. The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (EI) Test and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) were utilized for emotional processing assessment. Follow-up information contained data on drinking alcohol during the last month.
Results: At baseline assessment, the duration of alcohol drinking was associated with lower ability to utilize emotions. Patients reporting more difficulties with describing feelings drank more during their last episode of heavy drinking, and had a longer duration of intensive alcohol use. A longer duration of the last episode of heavy drinking was associated with more problems identifying and regulating emotions. Poor utilization of emotions and high severity of depressive symptoms contributed to higher rates of drinking at follow-up.
Conclusions: These results underline the importance of systematic identification of discrete emotional problems and dynamics related to AD. This knowledge has implications for treatment. Psychotherapeutic interventions to improve emotional skills could be utilized in treatment of alcohol-dependent patients.
The study investigated explicit and implicit
attitudes towards people with mental illness among m... more The study investigated explicit and implicit attitudes towards people with mental illness among medi- cal students (non-professionals) with no previous contact with mentally ill patients and psychiatrists and psycho- therapists (professionals) who had at least 2 years of pro- fessional contact with mentally ill patients. Explicit attitudes where assessed by self-report. Implicit attitudes were measured with the Go/No-Go Association Task, a variant of the Implicit Association Test that does not require the use of a comparison category. Compared to non-professionals, mental health professionals reported significantly higher approach emotions than non-profes- sionals towards people with mental illness, showed a lesser tendency to discriminate against them, and held less restrictive attitudes. Both groups reported negative implicit attitudes towards mentally ill. Results suggest that both non-professionals and professionals display ambivalent attitudes towards people with mental illness and that pro- fessional, long-term contact with people with mental illness does not necessarily modify negative implicit attitudes.
Objective: To characterise how psychotherapy with people who expereince psychosis is conducted in... more Objective: To characterise how psychotherapy with people who expereince psychosis is conducted in Poland, and by whom.
Method: A nation-wide online survey and paper and pencil enquiry comprised of 40 questions and addressed mainly to the members of psychological, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic associations was administered to a sample of 1196 people who provide psychotherapy.
Results: Of the 1196 therapists surveyed, 30.8% reported working with people experiencing psychosis. Therapists working with psychotic people were more likely than the rest of the therapists to have graduated in medicine, worked in a
psychiatric hospital or public counselling centre and trained in psychoanalytic or psychodynamic psychotherapy. No difference in gender and age or years of experience was found between the two groups.
Conclusions: The percentage of therapists working with psychotic patients in Poland is similar to the international average, but lower than in Austria. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapists play an important role in the psychological treatment of people experiencing psychosis in Poland.
Introduction: The first part of the article presented an overview of research projects focused on... more Introduction: The first part of the article presented an overview of research projects focused on psychotherapy in Poland. The second part demonstrates results of a study conducted amongst Polish psychotherapists in 2012. Material and methods: A total of 1196 persons conducting psychotherapy in Poland fully completed a nationwide online survey (or, alternatively, a paper and pencil enquiry) concerning their education, training, experience, and clinical work. The results are compared with findings of similar studies from other countries. Results: Among the primary findings were: (1) psychotherapy in Poland is conducted mostly by women (80%); (2) almost all therapists have an MA degree, including 75.2% having graduated in psychology; (3) the psychotherapists are well trained (mean number of training hours is above 942) and established (average experience is about 9.8 years); (4) more than half of the therapists have no type of certificate; (5) 54% of respondents identify with the integrative or eclectic orientation and, simultaneously, for 48.6% of the therapists the most important approach is either psy-chodynamic or psychoanalytic; (6) the most common form of therapy is individual psychotherapy in private practice; (7) the majority of the therapists treat adult patients with anxiety or personality disorders. Conclusions: The results show that psychotherapeutic practice is well established in Poland and many indices are similar to those found in Western countries. Psychiatry 2017; 14, 2: 90–100
The first part of the article presents an overview of the research on the practice of psychothera... more The first part of the article presents an overview of the research on the practice of psychotherapy in Poland. Authors found 5 research projects that were focused on empirical verification of questions of who and how conducts psychotherapy in Poland. This review demonstrates that the knowledge in this area is limited because the analyzed research projects are outdated and based on small samples. Authors point out that there are results based on large samples on psychotherapeutic practice in such countries like USA, Great Britain, Australia, Argentina, China, Germany, Norway. The article ends with the conclusion that there is a need of knowledge concerning the Polish psychotherapy scene and this need can be fulfilled by the research project conducted in 2012 among persons offering psychotherapy in Poland. The results of this project are presented in the second part of this work.
Tekst opisuje Skalę Niespójności Ja (SN-Ja). Wysokie wyniki uzyskiwane w tym kwestionariuszu ozna... more Tekst opisuje Skalę Niespójności Ja (SN-Ja). Wysokie wyniki uzyskiwane w tym kwestionariuszu oznaczają, że osoba badana ma niski poziom integracji struktury Ja. Istnieje wiele sposobów rozumienia i pomiaru integracji Ja. Prezentowany kwestionariusz bazuje na definicji, według której integracja Ja oznacza postrzeganie siebie jako osoby posiadającej takie same cechy osobowości w różnych rolach społecznych. Opierając się na dwóch istniejących narzędziach - Blocka (1961) oraz Robertsa i Donahue (1994) - stworzono dwie wersje równoległe kwestionariusza. Skonstruowano je na podstawie badania wersją eksperymentalną kwestionariusza (N=317), a wersje ostateczne zweryfikowano psychometrycznie na niezależnej próbie testowej (N=94). W SN-Ja-7 zadaniem osoby badanej jest ocena na 7-stopniowej skali Likerta nasilenia 7 cech w odniesieniu do 5 ról społecznych. Właściwości psychometryczne sugerują przydatność obu wersji w badaniach naukowych.
ABSTRACT The paper proposes the model of discursive mind and describes the cognitive architecture... more ABSTRACT The paper proposes the model of discursive mind and describes the cognitive architecture of the dialogically structured mind. The model draws on Hermans’ (1999) theory of the dialogical self (DS) and Wertsch’s (1991) vision of mind as a “tool kit” with socio-cultural instruments, and also on the socio-cognitive approach to personality in experimental psychology. An I-position is understood here as an active totality of experience, shaped in a particular social context and represented in a separate representation module. Th ere are many modules in the mind because in the course of socialization, the individual comes across many different social contexts. Th e described model and its preliminary empirical verification not only gives support to the DS theory, but can also be a leverage of its contribution to general theories of mind stemming from other theoretical traditions
This brief report presents group processes and the treatment protocol of intensive, transdiagnost... more This brief report presents group processes and the treatment protocol of intensive, transdiagnostic group cognitive-behavior therapy for anxiety with comorbid personality disorders in a day clinic. It describes the history of and rationale for the development of this 3-month, 15-hour a week group treatment and the utilization of group processes during this therapy. The authors argue that the group format presented here allows the treatment of personality disorders that are frequently comorbid with anxiety disorders.
The paper is aimed at finding answers to the following questions: (1) Is there empirical evidence... more The paper is aimed at finding answers to the following questions: (1) Is there empirical evidence for the psychoanalytic concept of transference? (2) Is there empirical evidence for the usefulness of working with transference in psychotherapy? Objections concerning the reality and practical value of transference have been summarized. A review of research dedicated to transference has been conducted, covering fundamental research in the psychology of social cognition as well as research on psychotherapy using both psychodynamic and nonpsychodynamic approaches. Studies from the first group confirm the existence of transference. Studies from the second group indicate conditions in which working with transference in psychotherapy seems to be efficient. Implications for psychotherapy practice have been formulated.
Background: Psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral group therapies are frequently applied in day ... more Background: Psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral group therapies are frequently applied in day hospitals for the treatment of anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive or personality disorders in Poland and other Eastern European countries. Yet there is not enough evidence as to their effectiveness in this environment; this study addresses this gap. The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of these two kinds of day treatment care consisting of intensive, short-term group psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapy, for patients with anxiety disorders and/or comorbid depressive or personality disorders. Our objectives are to: 1) show the effectiveness of each treatment in a day-care setting relative to the wait-list control group; 2) demonstrate the relative short- and long-term effectiveness of the two active treatments; 3) carry out a preliminary examination of the predictors and moderators of treatment response; 4) carry out a preliminary examination of the mediators of therapeutic change; and 5) compare the impact of both methods of treatment on the outcome of the measures used in this study. Methods/Design: In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 199 patients with anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive and/or personality disorders will be assigned to one of three conditions: 1) psychodynamic group therapy; 2) cognitive-behavioral group therapy; or 3) wait-list control group. The therapy will last 12 weeks. Both treatments will be manualized (the manuals will address comorbidity). Primary outcome measures will include self-reported symptoms of anxiety, observer-rated symptoms of anxiety, global improvement, and recovery rate. Secondary outcome measures will include the number of pathological personality traits, depression, self-esteem, defense mechanisms, beliefs about self and others, interpersonal problems, object relations, parental bonding, meta-cognition, and quality of life. Measures will be taken at baseline, post-treatment, and at six months following the end of therapy. Discussion: The rationale is to investigate how effectively anxiety disorders and/or comorbid depressive or personality disorders can be treated in a day hospital setting, typical of the Polish health care system, during a three-month treatment period. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02126787, registered on 28 April 2014.
Purpose
Short-term group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) with weekly homogeneous group sessio... more Purpose Short-term group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) with weekly homogeneous group sessions for treating specific anxiety disorders is relatively well developed and recognized. However, 12 weeks of intensive daily therapy for mixed anxiety and personality disorders is not. The current article aims to fill this gap by presenting the method of intensive transdiagnostic GCBT for anxiety disorders with comorbid personality disorders in a day hospital setting. Preliminary studies showed that participants exhibited significant improvement during this type of treatment. Conclusions This article reviews the advantages of group therapy that is transdiagnostic over the homogeneous group and individual therapy formats. Practice Implications The detailed description of the current therapeutical program may facilitate the development of similar programs in day clinic settings.
Alcohol and Alcoholism pp. 1 – 7, 2014, doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agu099
Aims: Growing data reveals deficits in perception, understanding and regulation of emotions in al... more Aims: Growing data reveals deficits in perception, understanding and regulation of emotions in alcohol dependence (AD). The study objective was to explore the relationships between emotional processing, drinking history and relapse in a clinical sample of alcohol-dependent patients.
Methods: A group of 80 inpatients entering an alcohol treatment program in Warsaw, Poland was recruited and assessed at baseline and follow-up after 12 months. Baseline information about demographics, psychopathological symptoms, personality and severity of alcohol problems was obtained. The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (EI) Test and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) were utilized for emotional processing assessment. Follow-up information contained data on drinking alcohol during the last month.
Results: At baseline assessment, the duration of alcohol drinking was associated with lower ability to utilize emotions. Patients reporting more difficulties with describing feelings drank more during their last episode of heavy drinking, and had a longer duration of intensive alcohol use. A longer duration of the last episode of heavy drinking was associated with more problems identifying and regulating emotions. Poor utilization of emotions and high severity of depressive symptoms contributed to higher rates of drinking at follow-up.
Conclusions: These results underline the importance of systematic identification of discrete emotional problems and dynamics related to AD. This knowledge has implications for treatment. Psychotherapeutic interventions to improve emotional skills could be utilized in treatment of alcohol-dependent patients.
The study investigated explicit and implicit
attitudes towards people with mental illness among m... more The study investigated explicit and implicit attitudes towards people with mental illness among medi- cal students (non-professionals) with no previous contact with mentally ill patients and psychiatrists and psycho- therapists (professionals) who had at least 2 years of pro- fessional contact with mentally ill patients. Explicit attitudes where assessed by self-report. Implicit attitudes were measured with the Go/No-Go Association Task, a variant of the Implicit Association Test that does not require the use of a comparison category. Compared to non-professionals, mental health professionals reported significantly higher approach emotions than non-profes- sionals towards people with mental illness, showed a lesser tendency to discriminate against them, and held less restrictive attitudes. Both groups reported negative implicit attitudes towards mentally ill. Results suggest that both non-professionals and professionals display ambivalent attitudes towards people with mental illness and that pro- fessional, long-term contact with people with mental illness does not necessarily modify negative implicit attitudes.
Objective: To characterise how psychotherapy with people who expereince psychosis is conducted in... more Objective: To characterise how psychotherapy with people who expereince psychosis is conducted in Poland, and by whom.
Method: A nation-wide online survey and paper and pencil enquiry comprised of 40 questions and addressed mainly to the members of psychological, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic associations was administered to a sample of 1196 people who provide psychotherapy.
Results: Of the 1196 therapists surveyed, 30.8% reported working with people experiencing psychosis. Therapists working with psychotic people were more likely than the rest of the therapists to have graduated in medicine, worked in a
psychiatric hospital or public counselling centre and trained in psychoanalytic or psychodynamic psychotherapy. No difference in gender and age or years of experience was found between the two groups.
Conclusions: The percentage of therapists working with psychotic patients in Poland is similar to the international average, but lower than in Austria. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapists play an important role in the psychological treatment of people experiencing psychosis in Poland.
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the treatment of anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive or personality disorders in Poland and other Eastern
European countries. Yet there is not enough evidence as to their effectiveness in this environment; this study
addresses this gap. The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of these two kinds of day treatment care
consisting of intensive, short-term group psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapy, for patients with anxiety
disorders and/or comorbid depressive or personality disorders. Our objectives are to: 1) show the effectiveness of
each treatment in a day-care setting relative to the wait-list control group; 2) demonstrate the relative short- and
long-term effectiveness of the two active treatments; 3) carry out a preliminary examination of the predictors and
moderators of treatment response; 4) carry out a preliminary examination of the mediators of therapeutic change;
and 5) compare the impact of both methods of treatment on the outcome of the measures used in this study.
Methods/Design: In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 199 patients with anxiety disorders and comorbid
depressive and/or personality disorders will be assigned to one of three conditions: 1) psychodynamic group therapy;
2) cognitive-behavioral group therapy; or 3) wait-list control group. The therapy will last 12 weeks. Both treatments will
be manualized (the manuals will address comorbidity). Primary outcome measures will include self-reported symptoms
of anxiety, observer-rated symptoms of anxiety, global improvement, and recovery rate. Secondary outcome measures
will include the number of pathological personality traits, depression, self-esteem, defense mechanisms, beliefs about
self and others, interpersonal problems, object relations, parental bonding, meta-cognition, and quality of life. Measures
will be taken at baseline, post-treatment, and at six months following the end of therapy.
Discussion: The rationale is to investigate how effectively anxiety disorders and/or comorbid depressive or personality
disorders can be treated in a day hospital setting, typical of the Polish health care system, during a three-month
treatment period.
Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02126787, registered on 28 April 2014.
Short-term group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) with weekly homogeneous group sessions for treating specific anxiety disorders is relatively well developed and recognized. However, 12 weeks of intensive daily therapy for mixed anxiety and personality disorders is not. The current article aims to fill this gap by presenting the method of intensive transdiagnostic GCBT for anxiety disorders with comorbid personality disorders in a day hospital setting. Preliminary studies showed that participants exhibited significant improvement during this type of treatment.
Conclusions
This article reviews the advantages of group therapy that is transdiagnostic over the homogeneous group and individual therapy formats.
Practice Implications
The detailed description of the current therapeutical program may facilitate the development of similar programs in day clinic settings.
Methods: A group of 80 inpatients entering an alcohol treatment program in Warsaw, Poland was recruited and assessed at baseline and follow-up after 12 months. Baseline information about demographics, psychopathological symptoms, personality and severity of alcohol problems was obtained. The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (EI) Test and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) were utilized for emotional processing assessment. Follow-up information contained data on drinking alcohol during the last month.
Results: At baseline assessment, the duration of alcohol drinking was associated with lower ability to utilize emotions. Patients reporting more difficulties with describing feelings drank more during their last episode of heavy drinking, and had a longer duration of intensive alcohol use. A longer duration of the last episode of heavy drinking was associated with more problems identifying and regulating emotions. Poor utilization of emotions and high severity of depressive symptoms contributed to higher rates of drinking at follow-up.
Conclusions: These results underline the importance of systematic identification of discrete emotional problems and dynamics related to AD. This knowledge has implications for treatment. Psychotherapeutic interventions to improve emotional skills could be utilized in treatment of alcohol-dependent patients.
attitudes towards people with mental illness among medi-
cal students (non-professionals) with no previous contact
with mentally ill patients and psychiatrists and psycho-
therapists (professionals) who had at least 2 years of pro-
fessional contact with mentally ill patients. Explicit
attitudes where assessed by self-report. Implicit attitudes
were measured with the Go/No-Go Association Task, a
variant of the Implicit Association Test that does not
require the use of a comparison category. Compared to
non-professionals, mental health professionals reported
significantly higher approach emotions than non-profes-
sionals towards people with mental illness, showed a lesser
tendency to discriminate against them, and held less restrictive attitudes. Both groups reported negative implicit
attitudes towards mentally ill. Results suggest that both
non-professionals and professionals display ambivalent
attitudes towards people with mental illness and that pro-
fessional, long-term contact with people with mental illness
does not necessarily modify negative implicit attitudes.
Method: A nation-wide online survey and paper and pencil enquiry comprised of 40 questions and addressed mainly to the members of psychological, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic associations was administered to a sample of 1196 people who provide psychotherapy.
Results: Of the 1196 therapists surveyed, 30.8% reported working with people experiencing psychosis. Therapists working with psychotic people were more likely than the rest of the therapists to have graduated in medicine, worked in a
psychiatric hospital or public counselling centre and trained in psychoanalytic or psychodynamic psychotherapy. No difference in gender and age or years of experience was found between the two groups.
Conclusions: The percentage of therapists working with psychotic patients in Poland is similar to the international average, but lower than in Austria. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapists play an important role in the psychological treatment of people experiencing psychosis in Poland.
the treatment of anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive or personality disorders in Poland and other Eastern
European countries. Yet there is not enough evidence as to their effectiveness in this environment; this study
addresses this gap. The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of these two kinds of day treatment care
consisting of intensive, short-term group psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapy, for patients with anxiety
disorders and/or comorbid depressive or personality disorders. Our objectives are to: 1) show the effectiveness of
each treatment in a day-care setting relative to the wait-list control group; 2) demonstrate the relative short- and
long-term effectiveness of the two active treatments; 3) carry out a preliminary examination of the predictors and
moderators of treatment response; 4) carry out a preliminary examination of the mediators of therapeutic change;
and 5) compare the impact of both methods of treatment on the outcome of the measures used in this study.
Methods/Design: In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 199 patients with anxiety disorders and comorbid
depressive and/or personality disorders will be assigned to one of three conditions: 1) psychodynamic group therapy;
2) cognitive-behavioral group therapy; or 3) wait-list control group. The therapy will last 12 weeks. Both treatments will
be manualized (the manuals will address comorbidity). Primary outcome measures will include self-reported symptoms
of anxiety, observer-rated symptoms of anxiety, global improvement, and recovery rate. Secondary outcome measures
will include the number of pathological personality traits, depression, self-esteem, defense mechanisms, beliefs about
self and others, interpersonal problems, object relations, parental bonding, meta-cognition, and quality of life. Measures
will be taken at baseline, post-treatment, and at six months following the end of therapy.
Discussion: The rationale is to investigate how effectively anxiety disorders and/or comorbid depressive or personality
disorders can be treated in a day hospital setting, typical of the Polish health care system, during a three-month
treatment period.
Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02126787, registered on 28 April 2014.
Short-term group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) with weekly homogeneous group sessions for treating specific anxiety disorders is relatively well developed and recognized. However, 12 weeks of intensive daily therapy for mixed anxiety and personality disorders is not. The current article aims to fill this gap by presenting the method of intensive transdiagnostic GCBT for anxiety disorders with comorbid personality disorders in a day hospital setting. Preliminary studies showed that participants exhibited significant improvement during this type of treatment.
Conclusions
This article reviews the advantages of group therapy that is transdiagnostic over the homogeneous group and individual therapy formats.
Practice Implications
The detailed description of the current therapeutical program may facilitate the development of similar programs in day clinic settings.
Methods: A group of 80 inpatients entering an alcohol treatment program in Warsaw, Poland was recruited and assessed at baseline and follow-up after 12 months. Baseline information about demographics, psychopathological symptoms, personality and severity of alcohol problems was obtained. The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (EI) Test and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) were utilized for emotional processing assessment. Follow-up information contained data on drinking alcohol during the last month.
Results: At baseline assessment, the duration of alcohol drinking was associated with lower ability to utilize emotions. Patients reporting more difficulties with describing feelings drank more during their last episode of heavy drinking, and had a longer duration of intensive alcohol use. A longer duration of the last episode of heavy drinking was associated with more problems identifying and regulating emotions. Poor utilization of emotions and high severity of depressive symptoms contributed to higher rates of drinking at follow-up.
Conclusions: These results underline the importance of systematic identification of discrete emotional problems and dynamics related to AD. This knowledge has implications for treatment. Psychotherapeutic interventions to improve emotional skills could be utilized in treatment of alcohol-dependent patients.
attitudes towards people with mental illness among medi-
cal students (non-professionals) with no previous contact
with mentally ill patients and psychiatrists and psycho-
therapists (professionals) who had at least 2 years of pro-
fessional contact with mentally ill patients. Explicit
attitudes where assessed by self-report. Implicit attitudes
were measured with the Go/No-Go Association Task, a
variant of the Implicit Association Test that does not
require the use of a comparison category. Compared to
non-professionals, mental health professionals reported
significantly higher approach emotions than non-profes-
sionals towards people with mental illness, showed a lesser
tendency to discriminate against them, and held less restrictive attitudes. Both groups reported negative implicit
attitudes towards mentally ill. Results suggest that both
non-professionals and professionals display ambivalent
attitudes towards people with mental illness and that pro-
fessional, long-term contact with people with mental illness
does not necessarily modify negative implicit attitudes.
Method: A nation-wide online survey and paper and pencil enquiry comprised of 40 questions and addressed mainly to the members of psychological, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic associations was administered to a sample of 1196 people who provide psychotherapy.
Results: Of the 1196 therapists surveyed, 30.8% reported working with people experiencing psychosis. Therapists working with psychotic people were more likely than the rest of the therapists to have graduated in medicine, worked in a
psychiatric hospital or public counselling centre and trained in psychoanalytic or psychodynamic psychotherapy. No difference in gender and age or years of experience was found between the two groups.
Conclusions: The percentage of therapists working with psychotic patients in Poland is similar to the international average, but lower than in Austria. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapists play an important role in the psychological treatment of people experiencing psychosis in Poland.