The Assessment of Change During the Intensive Treatment of Borderline and Schizophrenic Young Adults

This study examined change in 90 patients during long-term intensive inpatient treatment. Two types of patients were differentiated: (a) those primarily with anaclitic psychopathology, whose basic preoccupations were with issues of affection, intimacy, and attempts to establish satisfying interpersonal relations; and (b) primarily overideational patients with introjective psychopathology, whose basic preoccupations were with issues of anger, aggression, and self-definition (Blatt, 1974; Blatt & Shichman, 1983).

Variables derived from clinical case reports prepared both early on and much later in the treatment process and from independently administered and scored psychological test protocols obtained at these same two times, indicate significant and constructive changes during long-term intensive inpatient treatment. Variables derived from clinical case reports indicated significant improvement in interpersonal relations in both anaclitic and introjective patients; symptom reduction, however, occurred primarily in introjective patients. Variables derived from the independently administered and scored psychological tests support these findings. The total sample, but especially the introjective patients, had a significant increase in intelligence test scores, particularly the Performance IQ, and in the number of accurately perceived human movement responses (M + responses), as well as a significant reduction in thought disorder on the Rorschach.