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The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior
Published on: March 2, 2015
A narrative analysis of helplessness in depression
Stijn Vanheule1, Stuart T Hauser
1Department of Psychoanalysis and Clinical Consulting, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, Ghent, Belgium. stijn.vanheule@ugent.be
Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
|November 28, 2008
Summary
Adolescents
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Narrative Analysis
Background:
- Adolescent psychiatric hospitalization often involves experiences of helplessness.
- Understanding the narrative structure of helplessness is crucial for effective therapeutic interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the narrative logic behind adolescent helplessness experiences.
- To identify how helplessness is integrated into broader personal narratives.
Main Methods:
- Semistructured clinical interviews were conducted with forty psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents.
- Narrative analysis was applied to interview transcripts to examine explanations of helplessness.
Main Results:
- Three distinct narrative types of helplessness were identified: interpersonal confrontation, emptiness/boredom, and failure.
- The interpersonal confrontation narrative, centered on ambiguous intentions of others, was predominant and linked to mood disorders and major depression.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent helplessness is context-dependent, often stemming from social interactions or internal states.
- The narrative framing of helplessness, particularly interpersonal conflicts, is significantly associated with specific psychiatric diagnoses in adolescents.
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