LEVEL OF OBJECT REPRESENTATION AND PSYCHOANALYTIC PSYCHOTHERAPHY OUTCOME

Abstract

This study looked at the relationship between the pre-treatment level of object representation and treatment outcome in a sample of 48 subjects who underwent psychoanalytic psychotherapy in an outpatient clinic. The level of object representation was assessed with the Object Representation Scale for Dreams (Krohn, 1972) on the basis of subjects' dreams and early memories. Treatment outcome was assessed through patient and therapist outcome ratings. The results did not support the hypothesis that the level of object representation is significantly and positively related to treatment outcome.;The study also examined the degree of object representational change during treatment and the relationship between the degree of object representational change (from pre- to post-treatment) and treatment outcome in 26 subjects. The result indicated that significant positive changes did occur in subjects' levels of object representation (from pre- to post-treatment) and that these changes were significantly related to both patient and therapist outcome ratings.;Object representational change was viewed as one component of successful psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Results supported the theoretical notion contained in object relations theory that the quality of internalized object relations improves during treatment as individuals resume their psychological development. The Object Representation Scale for Dreams and other object relations instruments were viewed as potentially valuable instruments for evaluating this important dimension of change during psychoanalytic psychotherapy.