You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
Psychoanalytic concepts of “psychological structure” and “structural change” can only have meaning with reference to
Revised version of a paper by Dr. Zilberg presented at the Special Half-day Programme on Empirical Research on Psychoanalysis at the 36th Congress of the International Psychoanalytical Association, Rome, July 31, 1989.
Dr. Zilberg is Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco and Director of Training, Psychology Service, San Francisco VA Medical Center. He also maintains a private practice in San Francisco and Marin County, California.
Dr. Wallerstein is Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. DeWitt is Assistant Research Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, core faculty of the Residency Training Program, San Mateo County Mental Health, and in private practice in Menlo Park, California.
Dr. Hartley is Assistant Professor in Residence, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, and affiliated with the Adult Outpatient Department at Langely Porter Psychiatric Institute.
Dr. Rosenberg is Assistant Research Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, and in private practice in San Francisco.
This research has been supported by grants and donations from the Columbia Foundation, the Swig Foundation, Mrs. Patricia Costello, Dr. Cloyce Duncan, Dr. Norman Stone, Mr. Fred Whitman, Mr. Al Wilsey, and three anonymous donors.
specific psychoanalytic personality theory. Since no unifying and universally accepted psychoanalytic theoretical perspective exists, it is not currently possible in principle to unambiguously discuss (or measure) psychological structure and structural change per se. Despite this obstacle to measuring psychological structure and change, there remains the problem in research on the process and outcome of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy of differentiating between changes in symptoms and manifest behavior patterns as against more basic, enduring “underlying” changes. As a strategy to deal with this dilemma, the authors adopt an indirect approach to assessment which is theoretically informed and yet theory neutral. In this paper they focus on critical conceptual issues and within this context specify their assessment strategy.