La valutazione della personalità con i Prototipi Diagnostici Psicodinamici: una ricerca empirica nata dalla collaborazione tra Università e Servizi pubblici

ABSTRACT: Objective: In this paper, we will show procedures and results of an empirical study on the assessment of personality which has been possible thanks to a joint research collaboration between the research group coordinated by Vittorio Lingiardi (Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome) and several mental health unities of the Italian National Health System. The aim of this study is to empirically validate a new instrument for the assessment of personality styles derived from the Axis P of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM; PDM Task Force, 2006). Methodology: Six students graduating in Psychology, who were working on their dissertation thesis in Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis and were having a clinical training in the National Health System services, have been trained at the diagnosis with the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200 (SWAP-200; Westen e Shedler, 1999a, b) and the PDM. These raters have administered a systematic interview for personality assessment to 173 patients who were receiving psychological or pharmacological treatment by clinicians who worked in the mental health unities of the National Health System. These patients have been assessed with SWAP, DSM Axis II criteria and the new instrument to be validated: the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Prototypes (PDP; Gazzillo e Lingiardi, 2010). The clinicians who were treating these patients have independently assessed them with PDP. Eventually, raters and clinicians have utilized a specific clinical form for gathering information about themselves and their patients. In this paper, we will pay a particular attention to a subgroup of 37 patients between 18 and 28 years old. Results: The results of this study seem to support the empirical soundness (face validity, inter-rater reliability, convergent, discriminant and predictive validity) and the clinical usefulness of the PDP. Conclusion: This study gives a good evidence of the usefulness of the cooperation between university and clinical centres. The students/raters have been able to increase their clinical knowledge and their assessment ability thanks to the synergy between the research group of “Sapienza” University and the clinical practitioners working in the National Health System. This synergy seems to be one of the main roads to bridge the gap between empirical research and clinical practice on personality diagnosis.

RIASSUNTO: Obiettivi: In questo lavoro verrà illustrata una ricerca nata dalla collaborazione tra la cattedra di Valutazione Clinica e Diagnosi, Facoltà di Medicina e Psicologia, “Sapienza” Università di Roma, e alcuni centri di salute mentale di varie città italiane. Il suo obiettivo è stato la validazione di uno strumento di valutazione della personalità derivato dall’Asse P del Manuale Diagnostico Psicodinamico (PDM; PDM Task Force, 2006). Metodo: Sei laureande psicologhe che svolgevano il tirocinio presso alcuni servizi pubblici sono state formate alla valutazione della personalità con la Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200 (SWAP-200; Westen e Shedler, 1999a, 1999b) e con il PDM. Hanno quindi condotto un’intervista sistematica sulla personalità con 173 pazienti dei servizi pubblici che sono stati poi valutati con la SWAP, il DSM e il nuovo strumento da validare: i Prototipi Diagnostici Psicodinamici (PDP; Gazzillo e Lingiardi, 2010). I clinici di riferimento hanno valutato gli stessi pazienti con i PDP. Infine, rater e clinici hanno compilato un format per la raccolta di informazioni su se stessi e i pazienti. In questo lavoro, ci concentreremo sui risultati relativi a 37 soggetti giovani adulti. Risultati: I dati raccolti hanno permesso di validare empiricamente i PDP. Conclusioni: I PDP permettono di elaborare diagnosi e formulazioni del caso affidabili e clinicamente utili.