Motive Satisfaction Among Patients with Chronic Primary Pain: A Replication

We set out to replicate findings of significant (a) reductions in pain, psychological distress, and motivational incongruence (i.e., insufficient motive satisfaction) after interdisciplinary multimodal pain treatment and (b) associations between reductions in motivational incongruence (i.e., improved motive satisfaction) and decreases in psychological distress (Vincent et al., Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings 28:331-343, 2021). 475 Patients with chronic primary pain completed standardized self-reported questionnaires assessing motivational incongruence, psychological distress, pain intensity, and pain interference at intake and discharge from a tertiary psychosomatic university clinic. We used hierarchical linear models to analyze motivational incongruence's effects on psychological distress. We partially replicated Vincent et al.'s findings. Significant reductions in pain, psychological distress, and motivational incongruence after treatment were found. Reductions in motivational incongruence were associated with reductions in psychological distress. Similarly, a better motive satisfaction mediated the relationship between pain interference and psychological distress. Our findings show that reducing motivational incongruence may be a key component of treating chronic primary pain; we recommend to assess and target motivational incongruence to improve interdisciplinary multimodal pain treatment.

[Social Networks of Children with Mental Disorders]

Social Networks of Children with Mental Disorders Abstract. The study compares the social networks of children with mental disorders with a matched control group (n = 75/75, male 69 %/69 %, age: 9.4/9.0 years). In addition, we examined the quantity and structure of social networks as well as the stresses and resources in the respective patient group in general and regarding specific disorders (hyperkinetic disorder, HKS, and childhood emotional disorder). We assessed their use of social networks with a revision of the Social Relationship Test for Children (SoBeKi-R) and their mental disorders via clinical diagnoses, CBCL, and SDQ. The patients reported significantly smaller networks overall and fewer social resources, particularly in the nonfamily domains. While children with emotional disorders were found to have fewer social strains than the comparison group, children with ADHD tended to have higher strain scores per network person, and externalizing symptoms were significantly associated with higher network strains. The results, which vary by disorder, suggest complex disorder-specific associations between the syndromes and the reported social network resources and strains.

Understanding Compliant Behavior During a Pandemic: Contribution From the Perspective of Schema-Based Psychotherapy

Objective

The current study examined whether compliance with anti-pandemic measures during the COVID-19 pandemic relates to (a) importance of the fulfillment of core psychological needs, namely, relationship, self-esteem, efficacy, and pleasure; (b) coping behavior styles, namely, surrender, self-soothing, divert attention, and confrontation; and (c) worries or concerns beyond COVID-19 which may impair wellbeing.

Methods

This study used a cross-sectional design and online survey data from responses to a structured questionnaire developed within the theoretical framework of schema-based psychotherapy on psychological needs and coping behavior styles from 740 participants in Central Europe and West Africa.

Results

Analysis indicated that people with the psychological needs of “pleasure” and “efficacy” and the coping style of “surrender” were more likely to comply with anti-pandemic measures. We also found that people with the coping style of “confrontation” were less likely to comply. There were no statistically significant relationships between compliance and “relationship,” “self-esteem,” “self-soothing,” “divert attention,” and “existential concerns.”

Discussion

Our findings indicate that how likely a given individual is to comply with prescribed pandemic countermeasures varies based on their specific psychological needs and behavior styles. Therefore, to control contagion during a pandemic, authorities must recognize the relevance of human need fulfillment and their behavior styles and accordingly highlight and encourage admissible and feasible actions. The findings demonstrate that some individual differences in core psychological needs and coping behavior patterns predict compliance behavior.

Motive Satisfaction in Chronic Pain Patients: Does It Improve in Multidisciplinary Inpatient Treatment and, if so, Does It Matter?

According to consistency theory, insufficient motive satisfaction (motivational incongruence) is associated with psychological distress and mental disorders. High levels of distress and comorbid psychological disorders are common in patients with chronic pain. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of motivational incongruence in chronic pain patients and the association of incongruence change with symptom improvement. Inpatients with chronic pain in multimodal interdisciplinary treatment (n = 177) completed questionnaires measuring motivational incongruence, psychological distress, pain intensity and pain interference at the beginning and end of a multimodal interdisciplinary inpatient treatment program at a tertiary psychosomatic university clinic. Results demonstrated that pain and motivational incongruence were significantly reduced at post-treatment, and reductions in incongruence were associated with reductions in psychological distress. In particular, better satisfaction of approach motives mediated the association between reduction of pain interference and psychological distress at post-treatment. Findings suggest that a reduction of motivational incongruence may be part of successful treatment of chronic pain.

Eine systemisch-lösungsorientierte Intervention zur Förderung der psychischen Gesundheit bei einem Spitzensportler

Zusammenfassung. Spitzensportlerinnen und Spitzensportler sind nebst Alltagsstressoren zahlreichen sportspezifischen Stressfaktoren ausgesetzt ( Jones & Tenenbaum, 2009 ). Bei vulnerablen Personen kann diese Kombination den Ausbruch einer psychischen Störung begünstigen. Dies insbesondere, wenn wichtige Ressourcen wie ein sicheres soziales Netzwerk fehlen. Im Spitzensport ist dieses soziale Netz oftmals nicht persönlich anwesend. Durch die Anwendung von systemisch-lösungsorientierten Interventionen können Sichtweisen von nicht Anwesenden in die Lösungsfindung miteinbezogen werden (Levold & Wirsching, 2014). Deshalb eignen sich multiperspektivische Ansätze auch in sportpsychologischen Beratungen. Die vorliegende Fallstudie beschreibt die Anwendung von systemisch-lösungsorientierten Interventionen bei einem 21-jährigen Spitzensportler. Aufgrund familiärer Vorbelastungen kann von einer Vulnerabilität ausgegangen werden. Verletzungen, ein Konflikt zwischen Cheftrainer und Trainer, zugleich Vater, sowie Transitionen sind die Hauptstressoren im Fall. Mittels einer Beratungssequenz aus sechs Interventionen wird illustriert, wie mit systemisch-lösungsorientierten Techniken Anpassungsprozesse in der Beratung begleitet werden können. Zudem werden die Erfahrungen, Prozesse und Ergebnisse der Beratungen zur Förderung und Erhaltung der psychischen Gesundheit des Athleten reflektiert.

Enhancing Congruence between Implicit Motives and Explicit Goal Commitments: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: Theory and research suggest that the pursuit of personal goals that do not fit a person's affect-based implicit motives results in impaired emotional well-being, including increased symptoms of depression. The aim of this study was to evaluate an intervention designed to enhance motive-goal congruence and study its impact on well-being. Method: Seventy-four German students (mean age = 22.91, SD = 3.68; 64.9% female) without current psychopathology, randomly allocated to three groups: motivational feedback (FB; n = 25; participants learned about the fit between their implicit motives and explicit goals), FB + congruence-enhancement training (CET; n = 22; participants also engaged in exercises to increase the fit between their implicit motives and goals), and a no-intervention control group (n = 27), were administered measures of implicit motives, personal goal commitments, happiness, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction 3 weeks before (T1) and 6 weeks after (T2) treatment. Results: On two types of congruence measures derived from motive and goal assessments, treated participants showed increases in agentic (power and achievement) congruence, with improvements being most consistent in the FB+CET group. Treated participants also showed a trend-level depressive symptom reduction, but no changes on other well-being measures. Although increases in overall and agentic motivational congruence were associated with increases in affective well-being, treatment-based reduction of depressive symptoms was not mediated by treatment-based agentic congruence changes. Conclusion: These findings document that motivational congruence can be effectively enhanced, that changes in motivational congruence are associated with changes in affective well-being, and they suggest that individuals' implicit motives should be considered when personal goals are discussed in the therapeutic process.

Tun oder lassen? Tun und lassen! Depression und Motivation

Zusammenfassung. Motivationale Einschränkungen sind ein zentrales Merkmal der Depression. Zunehmend wird dabei die Bedeutung von Vermeidungszielen betont. Fragestellung: Zeigen depressive Patienten mehr Vermeidungsziele als gesunde Kontrollprobanden? Hängen vermehrte Vermeidungsziele mit Misserfolgserleben zusammen? Depressive Patienten (N = 49) und Kontrollprobanden (N = 49) beantworten Selbstbeurteilungsmaße. Es werden Gruppenvergleiche sowie Zusammenhangsmaße analysiert. Depressive Patienten weisen mehr Vermeidungsziele und höheres Misserfolgserleben auf, zeigen aber vergleichbar viele Annäherungsziele. Vermeidungsziele und Misserfolgserleben korrelieren bedeutsam positiv. Depressive Patienten erscheinen übermotiviert. Neben dem Aufbau von Kompetenzen zur Erreichung von Annäherungszielen sollten depressive Patienten gezielt im Ablösen von Vermeidungszielen unterstützt werden.