The development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder
A case study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15520477 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ashley Frances Volodina Timberlake (Goethe University Frankfurt, corresponding author), Daniel Fesel (0000-0002-1434-7211, Goethe University Frankfurt) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Pages | 1141768-1141768 |
| Publication date | 2023-03-16 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Psychiatry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1664-0640 • E-ISSN: 1664-0640 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1141768 |
| PMID | 37009117 |
| OpenAlex | W4327614986 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 62 |
Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) is characterized by feelings of shyness, inadequacy, and restraint in intimate relationships and has been associated with a disturbance in narrative identity, which is the internalized and evolving story of past, present, and future experiences. Study findings have indicated that an improvement in overall mental health through psychotherapy may increase narrative identity. However, there is a lack of studies incorporating not only the examination of narrative identity development before and after psychotherapy but also within psychotherapy sessions. This case study examined the development of narrative identity in short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy treatment of a patient with AvPD, using therapy transcripts and life narrative interviews before, after, and 6 months following treatment termination. Narrative identity development was assessed in terms of agency, communion fulfillment, and coherence. Results showed that the patient's agency and coherence increased over the course of therapy, whereas communion fulfillment decreased. At the six-month follow-up, agency and communion fulfillment increased, whereas coherence remained stable. The results of this case study suggest that the patient's sense of narrative agency and ability to narrate coherently improved after undergoing short-term psychodynamic therapy. The decrease of communion fulfillment during psychotherapy and later increase after termination suggests that the patient became more aware of conflictual patterns in their relationships, therefore realizing that their wishes and desires were not being fulfilled in their current relationships. This case study displays the possible impact short-term psychodynamic therapy may have by helping patients with AvPD develop a narrative identity
Aesthetics · Agency (philosophy · Avoidant personality disorder · Borderline personality disorder · Feeling · Identity (music · Narrative · Narrative identity · Personality · Personality disorders · Psychoanalysis · Psychodynamic psychotherapy · Psychodynamics · Psychotherapist · Sense of agency · Sociology · Therapeutic relationship · Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics · Family Support in Illness · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Psychology · Social Psychology
Coherence of Personal Narratives Across the Lifespan
Reliabilität und Validität des revidierten Beck-Depressionsinventars (BDI-II)
The case study approach
The Incremental Validity of Narrative Identity in Predicting Well-Being
Personality Development
Selves Creating Stories Creating Selves
Beck Depression Inventory–II
Guidelines, criteria, and rules of thumb for evaluating normed and standardized assessment instruments in psychology.
Narrative Identity
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Motive‐Related Memories
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Guidelines for Establishing Reliability When Coding Narrative Data
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Life Story Coherence and its Relation to Psychological Well-Being
The nature of narrative coherence
Personality and the coherence of psychotherapy narratives
Living into the story
Characterizing lifespan development of three aspects of coherence in life narratives
The social construction of the personal past and its implications for adult development
I Don't Want to Live Like This Anymore
| Highly cited | No |
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