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Biomedical subjects

I Orbach

Publications and source records attributed to I Orbach.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

The emotional impact of frightening stories on children.

This study of the impact of fairy tales examined catharsis vs repetition compulsion hypotheses. Children with high- or low-trait anxiety, aged 6-9 (n = 132), listened either to a frightening story, a frightening-happy end story, a pause story (for measuring anxiety), or a neutral story. They were tested for state anxiety before and afterwards and their preference for a second hearing was evaluated. The procedure was repeated after three weeks. The findings show an increase in anxiety following the frightening story only. Preference and state anxiety correlated positively in the frightening story (repetition compulsion) and negatively in the pause story (catharsis). It was concluded that anxiety is elicited by the frightening elements of the story, rather than the unconscious symbolic content.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1993

The impact of a suicide prevention program for adolescents on suicidal tendencies, hopelessness, ego identity, and coping.

Three-hundred ninety-three adolescents from six schools participated in a study aimed at examining the effectiveness of an experiential suicide prevention program with regard to suicidal tendencies, hopelessness, ego identity, and coping ability. The subjects were randomly divided into experimental (n = 215) and control (n = 178) groups. The experimental groups took part in seven weekly 2-hour meetings. The program was based on the notion that a gradual, controlled confrontation and exploration of inner experiences and life difficulties related to suicidal behavior accompanied by an emphasis on coping strategies can immunize against self-destructive feelings. In this pretest-posttest design, the students completed questionnaires of suicidal tendencies, hopelessness, ego identity, and coping ability before and after the program. The statistical analyses showed that the experimental groups were superior to the controls, with at least some of the dependent measures pointing out the effectiveness of the program.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

Styles of problem solving in suicidal individuals.

This study compared qualitative aspects of problem solving among suicide attempters, suicide ideators, and nonsuicidal patients. The subjects completed a suicidal intent scale and a problem-solving task involving three dilemmas. Problem solving was analyzed along eight qualitative categories: versatility of the various solutions, reliance on self versus others, activity versus passivity, confrontation versus avoidance, relevance of the solution to the problem, positive versus negative affect, reference to the future, and extremity of the solution. The statistical analysis yielded differences among the three groups. In general, the solutions of suicidal patients showed less versatility, more avoidance, less relevance, more negative affect, and less reference to the future than the solutions of the nonsuicidal patients. The suicide attempters and nonsuicidal patients offered more active solutions than did the suicide ideators. Our findings emphasize the importance of general coping styles, as well as energetic/motivational aspects and affective aspects of the problem-solving process. Some applications to therapy are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Familial and intrapsychic splits in suicidal adolescents.

This paper describes a particular family dynamics involved in suicidal behaviors of adolescents. Certain family situiations create a split between some family members and the suicidal adolescent to the point of total estrangement. The adolescent copes with this split by forming intrapsychic splits, including a suicidal self and nonsuicidal self, through dissociation. This process peaks in the suicidal behavior itself. The therapeutic principles implied by this model are presented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

The "insolvable problem" as a determinant in the dynamics of suicidal behavior in children.

This paper attempts to define the characteristics of the "insolvable problem" in the dynamics of suicidal children. It posits that part of the underlying dynamics of suicidal children is being pressured to solve a problem, in the family milieu, which is beyond the child's--and often anybody else's--ability to resolve. Moreover, the paper outlines the possible relation between the insolvable problem and various determinants involved in suicidal behavior such as depression, helplessness, hopelessness, rigidity, etc. This discussion will be accompanied by case demonstrations.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1985

Children's perception of death in humans and animals as a function of age, anxiety and cognitive ability.

This study investigated the impact of age, cognitive level and anxiety level on children's conception of death in humans and animals. Children from three age groups (6-7; 8-9; 10-11) were divided into high and low anxiety levels and high and low cognitive abilities. Then, the children were administered two questionnaires on human and animal death. The findings show that there was a main effect of age, anxiety and cognition on the conception of both animal and human death. Human death scores were higher than animal death scores. The interactions indicate that anxiety has a stronger impact on cognitively high subjects than on cognitively low subjects and that cognition affects the animal death concept more than the human death concept.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1981

Some common characteristics of latency-age suicidal children: a tentative model based on case study analyses.

Eleven latency-age (6 1/2 to 12 1/2) boys and girls who attempted or threatened suicide were investigated by means of the following information: intensive interviews, therapeutic meetings, direct observation in school, meetings with teachers, and survey of school records. The families of the children were also interviewed. In spite of the many differences between the children's personalities and backgrounds, some common dynamic features seemed to emerge: (a) There was a suicidal parent in the family, in most cases the mother; (b) Most of the families of these children were engaged in a major crisis, not necessarily centered around the suicidal child; (c) The children experienced demands by the parents to assume responsibilities which the children perceived as being beyond their capability; (d) There was a lack of satisfying relationships with adults; (e) Most children perceived death in a paradoxical way, believing that death was a need satisfying state yet fearing death; (f) The children showed strong positive strivings to say alive and were able to experience joy and happiness in spite of feelings of desperation and depression. A model based on the above multifaceted forces is presented. These forces consist of attractiveness of life, repulsiveness of life, attractiveness of death, and repulsiveness of death. Some of diagnostic and predictive uses of this model are elaborated.

Child↗
PubMed1979

REM need in adolescents as indicated by resistance to REM deprivation.

The hypothesis that adolescents have an exceptionally strong need for REM sleep was tested by measuring their resistance to REM deprivation. Ten adolescents (aged 16 to 17 yr.) were compared with 12 young adults (aged 25 to 27 yr.) in a standard REM deprivation procedure. The adolescents had to be awakened significantly more times than the young adults; this is consistent with the hypothesis that adolescents have a greater need for REM sleep.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Suicidal, aggressive, and normal children's perception of personal and impersonal death.

Tested the assumption that young children's suicidal behavior is connected to their concept of death. An additional objective was to explore whether distortions in the concept of death stem from limitations in cognitive functioning or from a defensive process. The sample consisted of 21 Ss in three equal groups of suicidal, aggressive, and normal children, ages 10-12. The variables of socioeconomic status, cultural background, and intelligence were controlled. The children were asked to respond to questions about impersonal death (the death of others) and personal death (one's own death). The results indicated that the three groups differed mainly in regard to the personal death concept. Suicidal children attributed the cause of death to suicide and referred to life after death and to resurrection more often than the other groups. Both normal and aggressive children emphasized the finality and irreversibility of death. However, normal children attributed the cause of death to natural processes, while aggressive children referred to brutality as a main cause of death. It is concluded that the suicidal children's view of death could facilitate suicidal behavior and that it should be a subject for concern in the treatment of such children.

Aggression↗