[Embitterment and Aggression in Psychotherapy Patients]

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychotherapy Research

Background:

• Embitterment is a common emotion leading to suffering and dysfunctional behavior.
• Aggression is a known consequence of embitterment.
• There is a need for data on the prevalence and correlation of embitterment and aggression in psychotherapy settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the rate of embitterment and aggression in psychotherapy patients.
• To investigate the correlation between embitterment and aggression in this population.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted in an outpatient behavior therapy clinic.
• 118 patients completed the Post-Traumatic Embitterment Disorder (PTED) scale, the K-FAF (aggression factors), and the SCL-90-S (Symptom Checklist).
• Sociodemographic data were collected from the clinic's database.

Main Results:

• 22% of patients met the criteria for clinically relevant embitterment (PTED scale M≥2.5).
• Significant correlations were found between embitterment and total aggression (r=0.422), reactive aggression (r=0.425), and explosive aggression (r=0.355).
• Patients with combined embitterment and aggression showed higher general mental distress and unemployment rates compared to inconspicuous patients.

Conclusions:

• Embitterment and aggression frequently co-occur in psychotherapy patients.
• The significant correlation supports theoretical links between these constructs.
• Psychotherapists should be aware of and adequately address embitterment and aggression in their patients.