Patient into parent: The interplay of the psychological events of pregnancy and the therapeutic process.
Item
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Title
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Patient into parent: The interplay of the psychological events of pregnancy and the therapeutic process.
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Identifier
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AAI8820862
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identifier
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8820862
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Creator
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Fox, Berryl Caplan.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Laurence J. Gould
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Date
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1988
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Clinical
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Abstract
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This study examined therapists' experiences in treating pregnant women. The issues addressed concerned whether the pregnancy affected termination, whether it facilitated or disrupted the therapeutic process and what role the therapist's gender had.;61 clinicians were surveyed about their experiences in treating pregnant women. A majority of the therapists felt that the pregnancy had an impact on treatment. Some experienced the pregnancy as facilitating the treatment's progress and felt their patients achieved greater therapeutic gains relative to nonpregnant patients, while others indicated that the woman's gradual withdrawal from treatment and her increased introversion disrupted the process. In general, patients had a tendency to become less involved and committed to treatment and therapists tended to change to a more supportive approach during their patients' pregnancies.;Concerning termination, approximately half of the therapists reported their patients had left treatment within fifteen months of becoming pregnant. Within this group most felt the termination was premature, while others felt the pregnancy marked the successful completion of the treatment's goals. It was also found that patients who were treated by psychologists, went to therapy more than once a week and were described as being very involved in their treatment before and after the pregnancy were more likely to remain in therapy.;A discriminant analysis revealed that male therapists who tended to be psychologists, worked more analytically with their pregnant patients than others, saw their patients relatively more times per week and did not get more supportive during their patients' pregnancies had patients who terminated significantly less than other patient/therapist dyads.;No significant gender differences were found. However, female therapists, who tended to get more supportive with their patients, saw women who were felt to identify more with them than male therapists and saw patients who were described as more involved in treatment once they were pregnant.;This study considers the importance of the interaction of several patient, therapist and treatment variables that impact on the expectant mother's therapy. Specifically, it seems that patients who are in more analytically oriented treatments are more likely to remain in therapy during and immediately after their pregnancies.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
