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Psychological Change in Neurotic Depression: A Repertory Grid and Personal Construct Theory Approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Miles Hewstone ,
Douglas Hooper  and
Keith Miller
Miles Hewstone
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD
Douglas Hooper
Affiliation:
Department of Social Administration, The University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX
Keith Miller
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Bristol, 8–10 Berkeley Square, Bristol BS8 1HH
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Summary

Personal construct theory and repertory grid methodology were applied to a study of psychological change experienced by a sample of ten neurotic depressives and their matched controls during short-term hospitalization. All subjects completed a repertory grid and the Zung depression scale on admission to hospital. Depressives were characterized by lower self-esteem, more negative social perception and higher scores on the Zung scale. Both measures were repeated at the time of discharge from hospital. Depressives showed a significant reduction in depressive mood, more positive social perception, and a change in the construing of the self; controls showed no changes. It is argued that the use of a quantitative assessment technique reinforced by a theoretical framework results in a more refined understanding of psychological change.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 139 , Issue 1 , July 1981 , pp. 47 - 51
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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