TITLE:
Quality of object relations modifies the effectiveness of short- and long-term psychotherapy on self-concept
AUTHORS:
Olavi Lindfors, Paul Knekt, Esa Virtala
KEYWORDS:
Psychodynamic; Psychotherapy; Quality of Object Relations; Self-Concept; Solution-Focused
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.3 No.4,
September
2,
2013
ABSTRACT:
The quality of object
relations affects interpersonal behaviour, but it is not known whether it modifies effectiveness on
personality functioning in psychotherapies of different mode and length. In
this study we estimated the modifying
effect of the quality of object relations on the effect of solution-focused
therapy (SFT) and shortand long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (SPP and LPP)
on self-concept. A total of 326 patients were assessed at baseline with the Quality
of Object Relations Scale (QORS) and 4 times during a 3-year follow-up with the
Structural Analysis of Social Behavior self-concept questionnaire, comprising
altogether 10 scores on different aspects of self-concept pathology. The
effectiveness of SFT, but not SPP, was significantly poorer in several domains
(5/10) of self-concept for patients with low QORS, i.e. those with less mature relational patterns, than for patients
with high QORS, while the reversal occurred in some (3/10) self-concept domains
in LPP. The results suggest that the quality of object relations has
significance for treatment selection in therapies with different mode and
length.