Rorschach Assessment of the Personality Disorders

<p>For decades The Rorschach Inkblot Method (RIM)--the most popular of the projective tests--has been routinely employed for personality assessment and treatment planning. But in recent years it has not been free from controversy. Criticisms of its validity and empirical support are catalyzing new efforts to strengthen its foundations and document its broad utility. Among the most common--yet also most confusing and challenging--categories of clinical disorders is the personality disorders. However minimal data have been available on the RIM evaluation of most of those found in DSM-IV. This welcomed book constitutes the first research-grounded comprehensive guide to the use of the RIM in assessing personality disorders.</p><p>The first section offers a theoretical overview of personality disorders and constructs a framework and compelling rationale for the legitimate role of the RIM in their assessment. The second third and fourth sections present Cluster A disorders--paranoid schizoid and schizotypal; Cluster B disorders--antisocial and psychopathic borderline histrionic and narcissistic; and Cluster C disorders--avoidant dependent and obsessive-compulsive. The fifth section presents passive aggressive and depressive personality disorders currently being proposed for DSM inclusion. Each chapter in these four sections includes an extensive description of the disorder a review of empirical studies of the use of the RIM to assess it an analysis of the Rorschach variables that may characterize patients diagnosed with it and a depiction of a real case and discussion of the ways in which the RIM contributed to its formulation. The sixth and final section explores the relationship between psychoanalytic theory and the RIM.</p><p><em>Rorschach Assessment of the Personality Disorders</em> brings practical help for clinicians and clinicians-in-training and suggests new paths for researchers seeking to advance our understanding of the complexities of these disorders.</p>