Background: Patient transference patterns play a central role in the psychotherapy of personality disorders. Objective: The aims of this study were to: (1) explore the relationship between patients’ personality disorders and specific relational patterns and (2) construct empirically derived prototypes of relational patterns for each personality disorder. Sampling and Methods: A random national sample of 314 clinicians completed the Psychotherapy Relationship Questionnaire, which evaluates patients’ relational patterns, and the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200, which assesses personality disorders in a randomly selected patient currently in the clinician’s care and with whom the clinician has worked for a minimum of 8 sessions and a maximum of 6 months (1 session per week). Results: The avoidant/counterdependent transference pattern was associated with all cluster A personality disorders; the angry/entitled transference pattern was strongly positively associated with all cluster B personality disorders, and the anxious/preoccupied transference pattern was positively associated in a significant way with all cluster C personality disorders. Moreover, our empirically derived prototypes showed how the transference phenomena characteristic of each personality disorder are strongly coherent with the personality traits and mental and relational functioning of each specific disorder. Conclusions: The results strongly support a fundamental hypothesis that the patterns emerging in the therapeutic relationship are not arbitrary, and they clearly reflect patterns seen elsewhere in patients’ lives that can be crucial to address. Regarding limitations, the same clinician provided data on both the personality pathology and the transference phenomena for each patient.

Empirically derived relational pattern prototypes in the treatment of personality disorders / Colli, Antonello; Tanzilli, Annalisa; Gualco, Ivan; Lingiardi, Vittorio. - In: PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. - ISSN 0254-4962. - ELETTRONICO. - 49:5(2016), pp. 364-373. [10.1159/000448623]

Empirically derived relational pattern prototypes in the treatment of personality disorders

TANZILLI, ANNALISA;LINGIARDI, Vittorio
2016

Abstract

Background: Patient transference patterns play a central role in the psychotherapy of personality disorders. Objective: The aims of this study were to: (1) explore the relationship between patients’ personality disorders and specific relational patterns and (2) construct empirically derived prototypes of relational patterns for each personality disorder. Sampling and Methods: A random national sample of 314 clinicians completed the Psychotherapy Relationship Questionnaire, which evaluates patients’ relational patterns, and the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200, which assesses personality disorders in a randomly selected patient currently in the clinician’s care and with whom the clinician has worked for a minimum of 8 sessions and a maximum of 6 months (1 session per week). Results: The avoidant/counterdependent transference pattern was associated with all cluster A personality disorders; the angry/entitled transference pattern was strongly positively associated with all cluster B personality disorders, and the anxious/preoccupied transference pattern was positively associated in a significant way with all cluster C personality disorders. Moreover, our empirically derived prototypes showed how the transference phenomena characteristic of each personality disorder are strongly coherent with the personality traits and mental and relational functioning of each specific disorder. Conclusions: The results strongly support a fundamental hypothesis that the patterns emerging in the therapeutic relationship are not arbitrary, and they clearly reflect patterns seen elsewhere in patients’ lives that can be crucial to address. Regarding limitations, the same clinician provided data on both the personality pathology and the transference phenomena for each patient.
2016
transference; personality disorders; relational patterns; Psychotherapy Relationship Questionnaire; therapeutic relationship; therapeutic alliance
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Empirically derived relational pattern prototypes in the treatment of personality disorders / Colli, Antonello; Tanzilli, Annalisa; Gualco, Ivan; Lingiardi, Vittorio. - In: PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. - ISSN 0254-4962. - ELETTRONICO. - 49:5(2016), pp. 364-373. [10.1159/000448623]
File allegati a questo prodotto
File Dimensione Formato  
Colli_Empirically_2016.pdf

solo gestori archivio

Tipologia: Versione editoriale (versione pubblicata con il layout dell'editore)
Licenza: Tutti i diritti riservati (All rights reserved)
Dimensione 122.91 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
122.91 kB Adobe PDF   Contatta l'autore

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/888134
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 0
  • Scopus 8
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 8
social impact