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Background: Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suffer from instability of their relationships, their affectivity and their identity. The purpose of the study was to investigate negative affects and identity disturbance in patients with BPD and in patients without personality disorder using questionnaire data and interview data. Sampling and Methods: Twelve patients with BPD and 12 patients with major depressive disorder without any personality disorder were assessed with the Structured Interview of Personality Organization (STIPO) and questionnaires (Inventory of Personality Organization, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). They were compared with respect to the frequency of negative affective verbal expressions using computerized content analysis methods. Results: BPD patients showed higher levels of anxiety, depression and identity diffusion in the questionnaires than major depressive disorder patients without personality disorder. However, they did not report more negative affective expressions in the interview. Patients with identity disturbance of both groups showed higher values of negative mood in the questionnaires, but less anger, less anxiety and less affective intensity in the interview. Conclusion: The preliminary findings indicate that patients with identity disturbance show high levels of negative affects in questionnaires but only few negative affects in the interview situation. More studies are needed to enhance the understanding of negative affects and identity disturbance in BPD. Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

The experience of miscarriage results in tremendous emotional disturbance for many affected women. Depression, anxiety, (pathological) grief, and posttraumatic stress symptoms are commonly experienced reactions. Several factors influence the level of emotional distress, like age, previous experience of miscarriage, or social support. In this work, we investigated the level of emotional distress after miscarriage using a novel methodological approach. Through the world wide web, N = 500 texts of women who reported freely on their miscarriage were accessed and analyzed using the Dresden Anxiety Dictionary, a German computerized version of the Gottschalk-Gleser speech analysis. The women were 28 years old on average. The texts were written, on average, about 28 days after the miscarriage. Women's pregnancy had lasted between 2 and 40 weeks (M = 12). The scores pertaining to death anxiety and mutilation anxiety were higher than the norm. More than 20 % of the women reported an increased level of anxiety. Variables that influenced the level of anxiety were age, time since miscarriage, duration of pregnancy, previous miscarriage, and social support. The results underscore the need for treatment, at least for sub-groups of affected women who have a higher risk for a complicated course of coping with miscarriage.

Background Parental rearing behavior is a significant etiological factor for the vulnerability of psychopathology and has been an issue of clinical research for a long time. For this scope instruments are important who asses economically recalled parental rearing behavior in a clinical practice. Therefore, a short German instrument for the assessment of the recalled parental rearing behavior Fragebogen zum erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten (FEE) was psychometrically evaluated [Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior]. Methods This questionnaire was evaluated in a representative population sample (N = 2.948) in Germany which included 44.2% male and 55.8% female persons with a mean age of M = 47.35 (SD = 17.10, range = 18–92). For the content evaluation of the FEE the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (FLZ) and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP) was filled out by the participants. Results The FEE scales yielded a good to satisfactory internal consistency and split-half reliability. Its three factors (rejection/punishment, emotional warmth, control/overprotection) correlated positively with most of the areas of life satisfaction. Furthermore, positive associations between interpersonal problems and parental rejection and control could be identified. Conclusion The FEE is a short, reliable and valid instrument that can be applied in the clinical practice. In addition, the data proved an association between recalled parental rearing behavior, life satisfaction and interpersonal problems conform to the literature. Finally, specific problems with the retrospective assessment of parental rearing behavior were addressed as well.

Objective: Preoperative anxiety influences the result of the treatment in patients. To assess preoperative anxiety the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) was developed. The APAIS measures anxiety and the need-for-information with 6 items, with good reliability and validity. This article presents the first test of the German version of this screening instrument.Methods: The German version of the APAIS was tested on 68 patients questioned before surgery on the lower extremities in the Orthopaedic Department of a University Hospital. From 68 patients, 47 (69%) were female and the average age was 55 years. Besides the APAIS, several additional questionnaires with similar or divergent content were administered for testing the convergent and discriminant validity of the APAIS (HADS, SCL-9-K, KASA, COSS, STOA).Results: The two scales anxiety and need-for-information could be replicated by a factor analysis and had high reliability (anxiety: Cronbachs Alpha = 0.92; need-for-information: Cronbachs Alpha = 0.86). As expected the scales of the APAIS correlated highly with different standard questionnaires which measure anxiety (KASA, STOA) and low with questionnaires of divergent contents (HADS depression, COSS). The APAIS-scales are independent of sex, age or previous surgeries. Patients with a higher need-for-information show higher anxiety (r=0.59) prior to surgery.Conclusions: During its first trial the German version of the APAIS proved to be a reliable and valid instrument. Furthermore, it is a good screening instrument to assess preoperative anxiety and need-for-information in clinical practice, especially due to its brevity. In further studies the predictive validity has to be examined in large heterogeneous samples. Zielsetzung: Das präoperative Angstniveau eines Patienten kann entscheidenden Einfluss auf das Behandlungsergebnis haben. Zur Erfassung präoperativer Angst wurde 1996 die Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) vorgestellt. Dieses Instrument soll die Skalen "Angst vor Anästhesie und Operation" und "Informationsbedürfnis" mit nur sechs Items valide und reliabel erfassen. Dargestellt wird die erste Überprüfung einer deutschen Version dieses Screeninginstruments.Methodik: Die Erprobung erfolgte an 68 Patienten einer orthopädischen Universitätsklinik vor einer Operation an den unteren Extremitäten. 47 (69%) waren weiblich, das Durchschnittsalter betrug 55 Jahre. Zur Prüfung der konvergenten und diskriminanten Validität wurden weitere inhaltsähnliche bzw. -fremde Fragebogenverfahren eingesetzt (HADS, SCL-9-K, KASA, COSS, STOA).Ergebnisse: In der Faktorenanalyse konnten die beiden Skalen repliziert werden. Sie besitzen eine hohe Reliabilität (Angst: Cronbachs Alpha = 0,92; Informationsbedürfnis: Cronbachs Alpha = 0,86). Die Skalen der APAIS korrelieren erwartungsgemäß hoch mit anderen spezifischen Angstfragebögen (KASA, STOA) und niedriger mit inhaltsferneren Verfahren (HADS Depressivität, COSS). Die APAIS-Skalen sind nicht abhängig von Geschlecht, Alter oder bisherigen Operationserfahrungen. Patienten mit einem höheren Informationsbedürfnis haben auch ein höheres Angstniveau (r=0,59).Fazit: In der ersten Erprobung erwies sich die deutsche Version der APAIS als reliables und valides Instrument, das aufgrund seiner Kürze sehr gut zum Screening von präoperativer Angst und Informationsbedürfnis im klinischen Alltag geeignet ist. Weitere Studien, insbesondere zur prädiktiven Validität, müssen an umfangreicheren, heterogeneren Stichproben erfolgen.

Based on research about the psychosocial aspects of experiencing unemployment, the present study analyses the effects of actual unemployment and the impact of being at risk of becoming unemployed and the influence of perceived job insecurity on life satisfaction.In the 17th wave of the Saxon Longitudinal Study (Sächsische Längsschnittstudie) in 2003, 419 people (193 male, 226 female, mean age 30.05 years) were examined with a life satisfaction questionnaire. This questionnaire addresses eight areas of life satisfaction: friends, leisure time, health, income, job, housing, family, partnership.Two-thirds of the participants have had experiences with unemployment so far. People who had been unemployed several times were significantly more dissatisfied with their income, housing, profession and health. Still, considering people employed at the time of survey, the subjective job insecurity and the perceived risk of becoming unemployed had noticeably negative effects on life satisfaction. This could be also shown for areas which are not directly connected to occupation, such as friends and family life.The study emphasizes the known results regarding the connection between unemployment and (poor) life satisfaction. Evidence was provided that even the anticipated loss of the workplace causes a decrease in life satisfaction, affecting many areas of subjective evaluation.

The present paper describes a study on the intake interview narratives of psychotherapy patients with assisted content analysis methods.47 psycho-dynamic diagnostic interviews of patients suffering from depression or anxiety disorders were analysed using a Gottschalk-Gleser technique with the Dresdner Angstwörterbuch (DAW) as well as with the Affektives Diktionär Ulm (ADU).Comparisons between different subgroups of this sample were made: Anxiety vs. depression patients, East Germans (Magdeburg) vs. West Germans (Düsseldorf) and men vs. women. The comparisons showed that feelings of anxiety were important in all subgroups. Depressed patients not only spoke more often about depressed feelings in comparison with the other subgroups, but also seemed more able to express emotions of other kinds. Among the differences according to the diagnostic dichotomy there were also significant results which demonstrated the influence of cultural background and sex of the interviewees on the contents of the intake interviews.The results confirm our hypothesis that the psychotherapist-patient-interaction sequences, which are the basis of diagnostic categorization, consist of elements specific for the disorders under study as well as elements specific for sex and culture (east vs. west). Some content analysis markers of these elements are identified in our study.

Hintergrund: Nach der deutschen Wiedervereinigung beschäftigte sich eine Reihe von Studien mit der psychischen Befindlichkeit der Menschen in Ost- und Westdeutschland. Die vorliegende Untersuchung stellt eine Replikation der Studie von Basten et al. [Psychische Beschwerden und körperliche Gesundheit im vereinten Deutschland: Eine Ost-West-Vergleichsuntersuchung an einer studentischen Stichprobe. Verhaltenstherapie 1994;4:90–95] 10 Jahre nach der Originaluntersuchung dar. Diese wurde 1991/1992 durchgeführt und untersuchte Unterschiede in der Depressivität, Angst, Somatisierung sowie im berichteten Essverhalten zwischen Studentinnen in Dresden und Marburg. Probanden und Methode: Von Oktober 2001 bis April 2002 wurden die psychischen Beschwerden und das Essverhalten bei Dresdner und Marburger Studenten untersucht. In die vorliegende Arbeit gingen Daten von 221 Studentinnen ein. Es wurden dieselben standardisierten Erhebungsinstrumente wie in der Originaluntersuchung eingesetzt. Ergebnisse: Im Unterschied zu der Originalstudie konnte keine höhere Depressivität bei der westdeutschen Stichprobe nachgewiesen werden. Stattdessen gaben ostdeutsche Studentinnen signifikant mehr Angstsymptome an als westdeutsche. Daneben gab es Hinweise auf einen stärker ausgeprägten Schlankheitswunsch der Ostdeutschen. Insgesamt wiesen die ostdeutschen Studentinnen in allen Verfahren höhere Mittelwerte auf als 10 Jahre vorher. Diskussion: Die Studie bestätigt vorliegende Ergebnisse, wonach nur geringe Unterschiede in der psychischen Befindlichkeit in Ost- und Westdeutschland bestehen. Allerdings sind in den letzten 10 Jahren Veränderungen geschehen, die aufgrund fehlender Längsschnittstudien nicht eruiert wurden. Die höhere Ausprägung der Angstsymptomatik der ostdeutschen Studentinnen wird als ein Sozialisationsergebnis interpretiert. Background: After the German unification, several studies have focused on differences in the psychological health of people in East and West Germany. The current study is a replication of the Basten et al. study [Psychological wellbeing and health in a unified Germany: An East-West-comparison of two student samples. Verhaltenstherapie 1994;4:90–95] 10 years after the original research of 1991/1992. It investigated differences in depression, anxiety and bodily symptoms as well as problematic eating behaviour in female university students in Dresden (East Germany) and Marburg (West Germany). Subjects and Methods: From October 2001 to April 2002, we investigated psychological symptoms and eating behaviour in students of the universities of Dresden and Marburg. The current report includes data of 221 female students. We used the same standardized measures as had been used in the original research. Results: In contrast to the original study, students from West Germany did no longer exhibit higher depression scores. Instead, students from East Germany showed significantly increased anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, there was a trend towards a higher drive for thinness in East German students. In all, students from Dresden showed higher mean values in all measures than 10 years before. Discussion: This study corroborates results that there are only minor differences in psychological health between people in East and West Germany. However, our findings point out that during the past decade subtle changes might have occurred which have not been detected through lack of longitudinal investigations. The higher level of anxiety in East German students could be a result of socialisation. Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

„Ein psychologischer Test kann als spezifisches Experiment gekennzeichnet werden, das der Erkundung und Beschreibung individueller psychischer Merkmale dient. Es besteht im wesentlichen darin, dass unter standardisierten Bedingungen eine Informationsstichprobe uber den Probanden (Pb) erhoben wird, die einen wissenschaftlich begrundeten Ruckschluss auf die Auspragung eines oder mehrerer psychischer Merkmale gestattet“ (Michel & Conrad, 1982, S. 1, zitiert nach Testkuratorium, 1996, S. 178). Oder „Ein Test ist ein wissenschaftliches Routineverfahren zur Untersuchung eines oder mehrerer empirisch abgrenzbarer Personlichkeitsmerkmale mit dem Ziel einer moglichsquantitativen Aussage uber den relativen Grad der individuellen Merkmalsauspragung“ (Lienert & Raatz, 1998, S. 1).

Was unter einem psychologischen Test zu verstehen ist, hatten wir mit zwei Definitionen am Beginn des vorherigen Kapitels hervorgehoben. Ein Test ist demnach ein standardisiertes Verfahren zur Erfassung bestimmter definierter Merkmale. Die individuellen Ergebnisse einer Person werden in den allermeisten Fallen den Werten einer Vergleichsstichprobe gegenubergestellt und ermoglichen Aussagen zum Grad der Auspragung des Merkmals bei der jeweiligen Person.

Alle Testbeschreibungen dieses Buches sind nach einem einheitlichen und ubersichtlichen Muster gestaltet. Die Autorinnen der einzelnen Besprechungen wurden dazu entsprechend angeleitet. Diese Einheitlichkeit und das Layout des Buches ermoglichen ein schnelles Navigieren und eine gute Orientierung in den verschiedenen inhaltlichen Bereichen.

Based upon the recent discussion on integrative approaches in psychotherapy research, the last two volumes of the PPmP were bibliometrically analyzed. The articles of authors which belong to different disciplines like psychosomatic or medical psychology were compared with respect to the word and speech statistic, leading representatives and the reception of the international state of research. The interdisciplinary standard of the PPmP has proven successful in view of the impact of the journal within the Scientific Community and among the flagship journals of the field. The study shows that the plurality of methodological approaches and interdisciplinarity provides an important criterion for the quality of psychotherapy research and for the corresponding publication institutions. Related to scientific quality standard the PPmP has found good impact in the scientific community but there are points to be changed.

Dieses Zitat und zahlreiche andere Berichte in den Medien mit ganz ahnlichem Tenor1 bewegten uns 1996 ein Forschungsprojekt zur Kommunikation von Auslandern mit deutschen Behorden zu initiieren (Berth & Esser, 1997). Unsere Daten haben wir hauptsachlich in Dresdner und sachsischen Behorden erhoben. Wir wurden dabei auf eine ganze Reihe von Problemen aufmerksam, die in einigen Fallen das Thema „Interkulturelle Behordenkommunikation“ weit uberschritten und die ihre Ursachen in typischen Besonderheiten der neuen Bundeslander haben k?nnten. Von diesem „Nebenprodukt“ kommunikationspsychologischer Forschung soll im Folgenden die Rede sein.