Offering a 'therapeutic presence' in schools and education settings

This paper outlines a framework for conceptualizing the contributions that psychoanalytically-informed therapeutic professionals working within education settings can make to school staff and systems as well as to children and families. The paper combines theoretical concepts with case examples of work undertaken in different education settings, to illustrate the opportunities provided by offering a 'therapeutic presence' within schools. Examples include direct work with children and their families, as well as work with teachers and other education professionals, and include work in mainstream nursery, primary and secondary settings, as well as settings offering specialist provision

Internalizing Dimensions Profiles of Children Referred for Externalizing Behaviours in School Psychological Services

Externalizing behaviours are among the most common and challenging childhood disorders. These behavioural traits are often associated with less obvious internal states, such as anxiety, depression or personality disorders, which are commonly ignored by mental health professionals. Recognizing and assessing these mood states in terms of anxiety level and depressive symptoms (especially self-esteem) and personality traits may help mental health specialist to design more effective interventions. 24 children aged 8 to 14 referred to school psychological services for disruptive behaviour disorders were compared to a control group, paired by age, gender and intellectual efficiency. Parents and teachers completed the Strenghs and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in order to assess disruptive behaviours. Manifest anxiety, depressive symptoms, personality traits were assessed using respectively the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (R-CMAS), the Multiscore Depression Inventory for Children (MDI-C), and the Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children (HiPIC). Children with externalizing disorders presented many discreet indices of affective distress as higher level of physiological anxiety, sad mood, instrumental helplessness, social introversion, pessimism and lower level of conscientiousness and benevolence. These results should encourage child and adolescent’s clinicians to screen for psychological vulnerabilities during a holistic psychological assessment including self-report questionnaires and child interviews in addition to the classical parents or teachers’ questionnaires

Grasping complexity

Whatever approach one might favor, the future of projective techniques lies in our capacity to collaborate at international and interdisciplinary levels. Isolation will only weaken our scientific position and expose us to more criticism. The Editorial Board of Rorschachiana hopes to modestly contribute to this endeavor by becoming a platform for interdisciplinary dialogs. Volume 32 of Rorschachiana contains a variety of topics that are explored using different lenses. A study by Arnon, Maoz, Gazit, and Klein establishes key indicators for the Rorschach Comprehensive System which can contribute to the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder. Guinzbourg demonstrates how the Rorschach can be useful in understanding various subtypes of eating disorders in her study comparing 106 eating disorder patients to a normative sample. Verdon’s comprehensive review of the use of the Thematic Apperception Test with older adults is an elegant and thought-provoking contribution to a field that is gaining momentum. Ikiz narrates how the Rorschach Test was adopted in Turkey and discusses some of the challenges the use of the test has encountered over the years. Finally, Carstairs shows how projective methods can be an invaluable addition to the assessment of parents in cases of child neglect. The Special Section of this volume is introduced by our Guest Editor Professor Latife Yazigi, who has collated a variety of contributions on the use of projective methods with children and adolescents

Quelques éléments de réflexion sur la dépression chez l'enfant : à partir et au-delà de la position dépressive

Cet article propose une relecture de la position dépressive à l'aide des théories contemporaines de la relation d'objet de l'école britannique de psychanalyse

Learning from the inkblot

The contributions of Wilfred Bion to psychoanalysis and Hermann Rorschach to personality assessment have had considerable influence on psychotherapy. Both authors developed their own systems in attempts to establish a more scientific approach to the study of the mind. This article introduces some key concepts from the work of Bion and shows their applications to the Rorschach Test

La formulation de cas : un modèle d’évaluation psychologique de l’enfant et de l’adolescent

L’article présente le modèle de la formulation de cas pour l’évaluation psychologique de l’enfant et de l’adolescent. La formulation de cas s’est développée en réponse au diagnostic psychiatrique qui peut être perçu comme une approche réductionniste du fonctionnement psychique. En Europe, de nombreux psychologues cliniciens ont adopté ce modèle, qui a initialement été développé par les psychothérapeutes d’orientation cognitivo-comportementale, et l’ont adapté à leur pratique respective. Ce modèle, aujourd’hui bien ancré dans la pratique clinique quotidienne, consiste à élaborer différents regards théoriques intégrant les résultats de la recherche scientifique pour favoriser la compréhension d’un cas clinique. Ce modèle s’inscrit parallèlement dans une approche centrée sur les preuves et dans une pratique réflexive de la clinique. L’objectif de la formulation de cas est d’élaborer des hypothèses et de proposer des traitements adéquats. La famille est toutefois intégrée dans le processus de discussion et de prise de décision, ce qui permet de renforcer l’alliance thérapeutique. Cet article présente les trois courants théoriques les plus utilisés dans la formulation de cas : les approches cognitivo-comportementale, psychodynamique et systémique. L’utilisation d’une seule et même vignette permettra de montrer la pertinence du modèle et la complémentarité des différentes approches cliniques

Revue des modèles et théories sur les hyperactivités de l'enfant : Antagonisme ou complémentarité? [A review of child ADHD theories and models: Antagonism or complementary?]

Child hyperactivity is a puzzling presentation for parents, teachers and Child Mental Health Professionals. The latter have developed a number of concepts and theories that are an attempt at explaining the nature and origin of various behavioural disorders. As a result, children and parents are confronted to a myriad of theories, sometimes contradictory. Child psychologists play a paramount role in linking together those various representations during initial consultations with families. The present literature review aims to introduce the principal theoretical models of hyperactivity (neuropsychological, neurobiological, psychodynamic and temperament)