In the field of empirical research on psychodynamic groups psychotherapies, nowadays important results have been made on outcomes and processes. Studies focus on dream functions in group process are still slight. The study explores expressions and functions of dream in the psychotherapeutic process of different typologies of institutional groups. Six psychotherapeutic groups of patients with severe psychopathologies were monitored for six months through protocols of the observers. The groups with some homogeneous criteria in the setting, differ in the diagnosis (personality disorders and psychotic disorders/only psychotic disorders). The observation protocols were categorized through a content analysis according to some thematic categories (interpersonal relationship; mechanism of defense; maintenance of setting; presence of dreams). From the protocols 20 dreams narration emerged which were analyzed u s i n g H a l l & Va n d e C a s t l e C o d i n g s y s t e m . The monosymptomatic groups of psychotic patients do not produce dreams narrations. The chance to dream the psychotherapeutic group and to invest itin terms of representation and affects appears where the group process haselaborative capability.The results seem to confirm in the context of group Bion’s hypothesis ondifficulty in the psychotic condition to approach to the dream as product ofmental function. Some theoretical implications on the potential of dreamwork, as indicator of group process, will be discussed.
Dream and dream work in psychotherapic groups for patients with severe psychopathology
TESSITORE, FRANCESCA
2015-01-01
Abstract
In the field of empirical research on psychodynamic groups psychotherapies, nowadays important results have been made on outcomes and processes. Studies focus on dream functions in group process are still slight. The study explores expressions and functions of dream in the psychotherapeutic process of different typologies of institutional groups. Six psychotherapeutic groups of patients with severe psychopathologies were monitored for six months through protocols of the observers. The groups with some homogeneous criteria in the setting, differ in the diagnosis (personality disorders and psychotic disorders/only psychotic disorders). The observation protocols were categorized through a content analysis according to some thematic categories (interpersonal relationship; mechanism of defense; maintenance of setting; presence of dreams). From the protocols 20 dreams narration emerged which were analyzed u s i n g H a l l & Va n d e C a s t l e C o d i n g s y s t e m . The monosymptomatic groups of psychotic patients do not produce dreams narrations. The chance to dream the psychotherapeutic group and to invest itin terms of representation and affects appears where the group process haselaborative capability.The results seem to confirm in the context of group Bion’s hypothesis ondifficulty in the psychotic condition to approach to the dream as product ofmental function. Some theoretical implications on the potential of dreamwork, as indicator of group process, will be discussed.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.