Abstract
The literature on the theory and clinical implications of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has grown enormously over the past 10 years, yet clearly in striking contrast to the relative paucity of literature regarding psychometric assessment. There are few psychological instruments in use which have adequate norms for the evaluation of PTSD, particularly for nonmilitary traumatic events. Currently, there is much evidence that many kinds of “civilian” disasters (e.g., rape, violent assault, natural disasters, hostage situations, etc.) can produce a stress response (Green, Lindy, & Grace, 1985; Horowitz, 1976, 1985; Krystal & Niederland, 1968; Sales, Baum, & Shore, 1984).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (1980). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
Aron, L. (1982). Stressful life events and Rorschach content. Journal of Personality Assessment, 46 (6)}, 582–585.
Bard, M., Arnone, H., & Nemiroff, D. (1986). Contextual influences on the post-traumatic stress adaptation of homicide survivor-victims. In C. R. Figley (Ed.), Trauma and its wake: Vol. II. Traumatic stress theory, research, and intervention. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Bard, M., & Sangrey, D. (1986). The crime victim’s book (2nd ed.). New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Bersoff, S. (1970). Rorschach correlates of traumatic neurosis of war. journal of Projective Techniques and Personality Assessment, 34 (3)}, 194–200.
Brett, E., & Ostroff, R. (1985). Imagery and post-traumatic stress disorder: An overview. American journal of Psychiatry, 142 (4)}, 417–424.
Burgess, A., & Holmstrom, R. (1974). Rape trauma syndrome. American journal of Psychiatry, 131, 981–985.
Burke, H., & Mayer, S. (1985). The MMPI and the posttraumatic stress syndrome in Vietnam era veterans. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 41 (2)}, 152–156.
Carr, A. (1984). Content interpretation re: Salley and Teiling’s “Dissociated rage attacks in a Vietnam veteran: A Rorschach study.” Journal of Personality Assessment, 48 (4)}, 420–421.
Carr, A. (1985). Rorschach content interpretation in posttraumatic stress disorders: A reply to Kowitt. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 25.
Davidson, P., & Jackson, C. (1985). The nurse as a survivor: Delayed post-traumatic stress reaction and cumulative trauma in nursing. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 22 (1)}, 1–13.
Durham, T., McCammon, S., Allison, Y, & Williamson, J. (1987). Psychological adjustment of rescue workers following two disasters. Paper presented at the national meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, St. Louis, MO.
Exner, J. (1974). The Rorschach: A comprehensive system. New York: Wiley.
Exner, J. (1985). A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (2nd ed.). New York: Rorschach Workshops.
Exner, J. (1986). The Rorschach: A comprehensive system: Vol. I. Basic foundations (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.
Exner, J. (1990). A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (3rd ed.). North Carolina: Rorschach Workshops.
Freud, S. (1954). Beyond the pleasure principle. In J. Strachey (Ed. and Trans.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 3). London: Hogarth Press, 1954. (Original work published 1920)
Green, B. L., & Grace, M. (1988). Conceptual issues in research. In J. Wilson, Z. Harel, & B. Kahana (Eds.), Human adaptation to extreme stress: From the holocaust to Vietnam. New York: Plenum Press.
Green, B. L., Lindy, J., & Grace, M. (1985). Post-traumatic stress disorder: Toward DSM-IV. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 173 (7)}, 406–411.
Hartman, C., & Burgess, A. (1988). Rape trauma and the treatment of women. In F. Ochberg (Ed.), Post-traumatic therapy and victims of violence. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Hartman, W., Clark, M., Morgan, M., Dunn, V., Fine, A., Perry, G., & Winsch, D. (1990). Rorschach structure of a hospitalized sample of Vietnam veterans with PTSD. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54(1 & 2), 149–159.
Horowitz, M. (1976). Stress response syndromes. New York: Jason Aronson.
Horowitz, M. (1985). Disasters and psychological responses to stress. Psychiatric Annals, 15 (3)}, 161–167.
Horowitz, M., Wilner, N., & Alvarez, W. (1979). Impact of event scale: A measure of subjective stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 41 (3)}, 209–218.
Janoff-Bulman, R. (1985). The aftermath of victimization: Rebuilding shattered assumptions. In C. R. Figley (Ed.), Trauma and its wake: The study and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (pp. 15–35). New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Kardiner, A. (1941). The traumatic neuroses of war. New York: Paul B. Hoeber.
Keane, T. (1989). Personal communication with the author
Keane, T., Malloy, P., & Fairbank, J. (1984). Empirical development of an MMPI subscale for the assessment of combatrelated posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52 (5)}, 888–891.
Kowitt, M. (1985). Rorschach content interpretation in posttraumatic stress disorders: A reply to Carr. journal of Personality Assessment, 49 (1)}, 21–24.
Krystal, H. (1984). Psychoanalytic views of human emotional damages. In B. van der Kolk (Ed.), Post-traumatic stress disorder: Psychological and biological sequelae Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
Krystal, H. (1988). Integration and self healing: Affect, trauma, alexithymia. New York: Analytic Press.
Krystal, H., & Niederland, W. (1968). Clinical observations on the survivor syndrome. In H. Krystal (Ed.), Massive psychic trauma New York: International University Press.
Lejeune, A. (1973, October). On being mugged. Urban Life and Culture, 254–287.
Lewis, C., & Arsenian, J. (1982). Psychological resolution of homicide after ten years. Journal of Personality Assessment, 46 (6)}, 647–657.
Lifton, R. J. (1976). The life of the self. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Lifton, R. J. (1988). Understanding the traumatized self: Imagery, symbolization, and transformation. In J. P. Wilson, Z. Harel, & B. Kahana (Eds.), Human adaptation to extreme stress: From the Holocaust to Vietnam (pp. 7–31). New York: Plenum Press.
Lifton, R. J., & Olson, E. (1976). The human meaning of total disaster: The Buffalo Creek experience. Psychiatry, 39, 1–18.
Lindy, J. (1985). The trauma membrane and other clinical concepts derived from psychotherapeutic work with survivors of natural disasters. Psychiatric Annals, 15 (3)}, 153–160.
Lindy, J. D., Green, B. L., Grace, M., & Titchener, J. (1983). Psychotherapy with survivors of the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 37, 593–610.
Modlin, H. (1967). A post accident anxiety syndrome: Psychosocial aspects. American Journal of Psychiatry, 123 (8)}, 1008–1012.
Newman, J. (1987). Differential diagnosis in post-traumatic stress disorder: Implications for treatment. In T. Williams (Ed.), Post-traumatic stress disorder: A handbook for clinicians Cincinnati, OH: Disabled American Veterans.
Nichols, B., & Czirr, R. (1986). Post-traumatic stress disorder: Hidden syndrome in elders. Clinical Cerontologist, 5(3 & 4), 417–433.
Niederland, W. (1964). Psychiatric disorders among persecution victims: A contribution to the understanding of concentration camp pathology and its after-effects. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 139, 458–474.
Ochberg, F. (1988). Post-traumatic therapy and victims of violence. In F. Ochberg (Ed.), Post-traumatic therapy and victims of violence. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Parker, K. (1983). A meta-analysis of the reliability and validity of the Rorschach. Journal of Personality Assessment, 47 (3)}, 227–231.
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. (1983). Learned helplessness and victimization. Journal of Social Issues, 2, 103–116.
Robins, L. N., Heizer, J. E., Croughan, J., & Ratcliff, K. S. (1981). The NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule: Its history, characteristics, and validity. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 1381–1389.
Rose, D. (1986). “Worse than death”: Psychodynamics of rape victims and the need for psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychiatry, 143 (7)}, 817–824.
Sales, E., Baum, M., & Shore, R. (1984). Victim readjustment following assault. Journal of Social Issues, 40 (1)}, 117–136.
Salley, R., & Teiling, P. (1984). Dissociated rage attacks in a Vietnam veteran: A Rorschach study. Journal of Personality Assessment, 48 (1)}, 98–104.
Schachtel. (1966). Experimental foundations of Rorschach’s test. New York: Basic Books, p. 7.
Scurfield, R. (1985). Post-traumatic stress assessment and treatment: Overview and formulations. In C. Figley (Ed.), Trauma and its wake: The study and treament of post-traumatic stress disorder (pp. 219–256). New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Seamons, D., Howell, R., Carlisle, A., & Roe, A. (1981). Rorschach simulation of mental illness and normality by psychotic and non-psychotic legal offenders. Journal of Personality Assessment, 4 (2)}, 130–135.
Shalit, B. (1965). Effects of environmental stimulation on the M., FM and m responses in the Rorschach. Journal of Projective Techniques and Personality Assessment, 29, 228–231.
Souffront, E. (1987). The use of the Rorschach in the assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder among Vietnam combat veterans. (Doctoral dissertation, Temple University, 1987.) Dissertation Abstracts International, 48, 04B.
St. Pierre, J. (1988). Rorschach responses of sexually abused children. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, MA.
Swanson, G., Blount, J., & Bruno, R. (1990). Comprehensive system Rorschach data on Vietnam combat veterans. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54(1 & 2), 160–169.
Thorndike, R., & Hagen, E. (1969). Measurement and evaluation in psychology and education. New York: Wiley.
Titchener, J., & Kapp, F. (1976). Family and character change at Buffalo Creek. American Journal of Psychiatry, 133 (3)}, 295–299.
Trimble, M. (1981). Post-traumatic neurosis: From railway spine to whiplash. New York: Wiley.
van der Kolk, B. (1984). Adult psychic trauma: Psychological and biological sequelae. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
van der Kolk, B. (1987). The psychological consequences of overwhelming life experiences. In B. van der Kolk (Ed.), Psychological trauma (pp. 1–30). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
van der Kolk, B., & Ducey, C. (1989). The psychological processing of traumatic experience: Rorschach patterns in posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2 (3)}, 259–274.
van der Kolk, B., & van der Hart, O. (1989). Pierre Janet and the rediscovery of psychological trauma. American Journal of Psychiatry, 146 (12)}, 1530–1540.
Wilson, J. (1989). Trauma, transformation, and healing: An integrative approach to theory, research and post-traumatic therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Wilson, J. P. (1990). Personal communication with the author.
Wilson, J., Harel, Z., & Kahana, B. (Eds.). (1988). Human adaptation to extreme stress: From the Holocaust to Vietnam. New York: Plenum Press.
Wilson, J., Smith, W. K., & Johnson, S. (1985). A comparative analysis of PTSD among various survivor groups. In C. R. Figley (Ed.), Trauma and its wake: The study and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (pp. 142–172). New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Wilson, J., & Zigelbaum, S. D. (1986). Post-traumatic stress disorder and the disposition to criminal behavior. In C. R. Figley (Ed.), Trauma and its wake: Vol. II. Traumatic stress theory, research and intervention (pp. 305–321). New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Zilberg, N., Weiss, D., & Horowitz, M. (1982). Impact of Event Scale: A cross-validation study and some empirical evidence supporting a conceptual model of stress response syndromes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 30, 407–414.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Levin, P. (1993). Assessing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with the Rorschach Projective Technique. In: Wilson, J.P., Raphael, B. (eds) International Handbook of Traumatic Stress Syndromes. The Plenum Series on Stress and Coping. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2820-3_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2820-3_16
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6219-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-2820-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive