TY - JOUR
T1 - Life stories of patients with personality disorders before and after treatment
T2 - Change and stability in agency and communion
AU - Pol, Silvia M.
AU - Schug, Fabian
AU - Chakhssi, Farid
AU - Westerhof, Gerben J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Pol, Schug, Chakhssi and Westerhof.
PY - 2023/3/16
Y1 - 2023/3/16
N2 - Introduction: Studying written life stories of patients with personality disorders (PDs) may enhance knowledge of how they understand themselves, others and the world around them. Comparing the construction of their life stories before psychotherapy to their reconstruction after psychotherapy may provide insight in therapeutic changes in the understandings of their lives. Methods: As few studies addressed this topic, the current study explored changes in agency (i.e., perceived ability to affect change in life), and communion (i.e,, perceived connectedness to other persons) in written life stories of 34 patients with various PDs, before and after intensive psychotherapy treatment. Results: Life stories showed a positive increase in agency from pre- to posttreatment, in particular regarding internal agency, societal success, and occupational success. No significant changes were observed for communion as a whole. However, the perceived number and quality of close relationships revealed a significant positive increase. Discussion: The increased agency in the reconstruction of patients’ life story after psychotherapy suggests that patients improved their perceived ability to affect change in their own lives. This can be seen as an important step in the treatment of PDs towards further recovery.
AB - Introduction: Studying written life stories of patients with personality disorders (PDs) may enhance knowledge of how they understand themselves, others and the world around them. Comparing the construction of their life stories before psychotherapy to their reconstruction after psychotherapy may provide insight in therapeutic changes in the understandings of their lives. Methods: As few studies addressed this topic, the current study explored changes in agency (i.e., perceived ability to affect change in life), and communion (i.e,, perceived connectedness to other persons) in written life stories of 34 patients with various PDs, before and after intensive psychotherapy treatment. Results: Life stories showed a positive increase in agency from pre- to posttreatment, in particular regarding internal agency, societal success, and occupational success. No significant changes were observed for communion as a whole. However, the perceived number and quality of close relationships revealed a significant positive increase. Discussion: The increased agency in the reconstruction of patients’ life story after psychotherapy suggests that patients improved their perceived ability to affect change in their own lives. This can be seen as an important step in the treatment of PDs towards further recovery.
KW - agency and communion
KW - life stories
KW - narrative identity
KW - personality disorders
KW - psychotherapy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85152031673&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1134796
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1134796
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85152031673
SN - 1664-0640
VL - 14
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry
M1 - 1134796
ER -