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Biomedical subjects

V Gruden

Publications and source records attributed to V Gruden.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Libido and PTSD.

The most frequent PTSD treatment is group therapy. Experiences gained from this kind of work warn us of big difficulties, especially if psychotherapist is an analytically oriented person. He has to do with non-presence of insight. These groups are dominated by projection and catharsis, which is often a source of secondary traumas. However, patients are fond of these group sessions. In the dynamics of such group sessions, what can be recognized is the tendency towards repression of the actual problems a PTSD patient has in his family, at work and in social relations. One of these problems, marked for the intensity of repression and negation, is the problem of libido. Weakness of potency and other libidinous problems are often the source of family problems as well as auto-aggressive acts. Libidinous problems are a taboo topic and the task of a psychodynamically oriented psychotherapeutist is to point out at this problem. Psychotherapeutic process changes its dynamics while directing verbalization to the problem of libido. Apart from readiness for solving the problem, patients with PTSD diagnosis show an interest in the members of their family being involved into psychotherapy. A special dynamics is being developed while solving the libidinous problems of the widows whose husbands were killed in war.

Humans↗
PubMed2000

Psychogenic factors in the aetiology of stomatopyrosis.

This research has been conducted on the basis of the association between a psychogenic factor and stomatopyrosis as its consequence. Stomatopyrosis is characterized as a burning sensation or as pain in the mouth cavity with clinically normal oral mucosa. It typically occurs with elderly female population, aged on average 67. Burning mouth as a symptom occurs primarily on the lips, although it may be located on some other sites on the oral mucosa. There are various etiological factors influencing the emergence of stomatopyrosis. They are divided into local factors, related to candidiasis, dysfunction, problems caused by dentures; systemic factors, with hormonal or immunological disturbance, medicines, etc; and, finally, psychogenic factors, characterised by various psychological states and conditions like depression, anxiety, adaptability and emotional stability. The objective of this research was to prove that psychogenic factors cause the burning mouth syndrome sensation. Methods which helped us to establish the link between psychogenic factors and the emerging of stomatopyrosis were general history of the respondents, clinical history, which included both objective and subjective assessment, and psychological rating scales and tests. The results have shown that sex of the respondents does not make any difference. Diagnosis of the oral disease shows that burning is the symptom as well as in the diagnosis of the disease, that localisation of the symptom is primarily on lips, followed by tongue, cheeks, and palate. The description of the symptoms shows that respondents with stomatopyrosis complain of burning and dryness in the mouth cavity. As far as the intensity of the symptom is concerned, the results have shown that the symptom is in most cases unbearable. The frequency of the occurrence of the symptoms said to be continuous. The typical time when the symptom occurs is daytime, followed, by night and evening, day and night. Tension dentures and hot food intensify the symptom. Subjective change in taste is present in the high percentage. Visual analogue scale shows a high degree subjective assessment of the symptoms in the mouth cavity. Thermoestesiometry has established that there are no pathological changes on the oral mucosa. Psychological rating scales and tests have established the presence of psychical changes in a high percentage. What we took into account were the most frequent changes: depression, anxiety, adaptability and emotional stability. We also established a systematic and a psychiatric diagnosis that was necessary for making the right choices when treating people with stomatopyrosis. Stomatopyrosis is the state whose factor, apart from local and systematic factors, may be psychogenic factor. We think that stymatopyrosis may be psychosomatic state that can be cured or treated by appropriate treatment, which includes psychiatric treatment as well.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Children and wives of deceased veterans--pride and suffering.

A widow is a women who lost her partner, Separation is what happened to her. Every separation is a big trauma and a possible source of psychopathology. The widow's children have experienced trauma as well, with all known consequences of separation. Admixture of pride partially reduces the intensity of frustration. However, this pride will soon lead to the sense of guilt and auto-aggressive component becomes dominant. Eighty nine widows, members of the Club "April 3, 1992" in Valpovo, were examined by the means of a questionnaire. Due to the widow's anxiety, depression and thinking about their own death and children's psychosomatic disturbances there is the imperative of the long-term psychotherapeutic work with them which is aimed at the correction of possible psychopathology.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Trauma and reconstruction in a large group of refugees.

The study is a continuation of a research which the expert team started in refugee and displaced persons' settlements in Croatia. By studying a group of refugees in its entirety we could not avoid noticing its extremely regressive position. Faced with the refugees' numerous existential problems we took the role of good, caring and tender mother (a good object) who will protect her children, give them security, meet their essential needs. Looking at the group dynamics, in the light of Melanie Klein's theory, we noticed the existence of schizo-paranoid and depressive position in the group, manifesting itself through the gap occuring as defense from its self-destructiveness, i.e. as the protection of introjected object which has be saved from destruction because the true "good object" was destroyed. Through the analysis of schizo-paranoid and depressive position of large group of refugees the aim of our work was to enable the group to gradually overcome the schizo-paranoid position and transfer into a more mature phase of development, thus creating a favorable atmosphere for maturation and self-protection.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Club as an integral approach to war veterans.

War veterans club "April 3, 1992" founded in Valpovo is aimed at providing an integral response to the numerous requirements of the war victims, participants of the patriotic war in Croatia. Apart from psychotherapists, the members of the club are: a priest, a social worker, pedagogists, nurses and a lawyer. The club offers a therapeutic work through its organisational form and the treatment conducted in it. One hundred and eighteen members of the veteran club in Valpovo have been examined by means of a questionnaire. Let us remind that there has been no attempted suicide since the club has started its work.

Croatia↗
PubMed1999

Autogenous training--an anxiolytic and a factor contributing to the improvement of the quality of life.

Autogenous training in its narrow sense of meaning belongs to the group of supportive psychotherapeutic techniques. In fact, it is an autosuggestive relaxation. Autogenous training has been for decades successfully used as prevention to anxious reactions. Since anxiety is an etiological factor of numerous psychic and psychosomatic disturbances, positive implications of autogenous training have been considerably broadened. Life without anxiety belongs to a more qualitative form of life. Autogenous training directs the trainee towards introspection and self-analysis. Self-respect (self-esteem) is the consequence of our own work on ourselves.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1999

An integral approach to the victims of war.

Contemporary psychotherapy is of integral nature. It is a part of integral medicine and of the integral viewpoint in science. Integrity is the opposite of polarity. There can be no doubt about it, sub-specialisation deepens the insight, simultaneously narrowing the efficiency of any activity. Integration is mandatory if we are to approach the victims of the Patriotic war in Croatia. Biological, psychological, social, philosophical and religious standpoints of an individual and a group of facilitators make the appropriate form of that approach. This is why education of facilitators has been directed towards integral way of thinking.

Croatia↗
PubMed1999

PTSD and alcoholism.

PTSD is the development of symptoms after a distressful response. 52.20% of the respondents suffering from PTSD used to drink either moderately or excessively during the war. Some of their alcoholism stems from the pre-war period. According to our researches, more than one fifth (22.92%) of the respondents with PTSD consume alcohol more than they used to before the war. PTSD is frequently associated with chronic alcoholism as a kind of "self-healing". Alcoholism problem is particularly unfavourably reflected on the family of a PTSD patient, whose quality of life is already poor, due to their basic disease. Treatment of alcoholism with PTSD patients is rather demanding; emerging of PTSD is noticeable with a part of the staff who treat chronic alcoholism; what is noticed was the similarity in the intensity and frequency of the stressful responses, which is proportional to the one noticed with the staff treating AIDS patients. Chronic alcoholics are the source of strong and repetitive traumas for those who try to treat them. That is why the concern for the counter-transference responses is important while treating alcoholism.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1998

The projection questionnaire: design, use and utility.

UNLABELLED: Projection is a widespread mechanism of defence. It is an important issue in a number of anthropological researches. To estimate changes in intensity and flexibility of the projection a measuring instrument is unavoidable. MATERIAL: To standardise the questionnaire answers of 250 examinees were used. They were divided in two independent groups. Group 1 consisted of 125 patients treated at Clinic for Psychological Medicine and Group 2 of 125 students in the third year of the Medical Faculty in Zagreb. METHODS: To process the results a statistical package SPSS was used. A chi 2 test was employed and tables of contingency were made. A factor analysis of "The Projection Questionnaire" was employed and varimax rotation separated five factors which characteristic roots were greater than one. RESULTS: A new instrument for measuring the projection, "The Projection Questionnaire", is developed and standardised. A considerable use of the projection by normal population is confirmed.

Factor Analysis, Statistical↗
PubMed1998

Anxiety in a large group.

Anxiety in a large group is a phenomenon much written about, but always as a subjective experience of the therapist and patients. Large group with its regressive situation stimulates the occurrence of archaic defense mechanisms, which gives the leader a special role as one who can influence, with his interventions, the intensity of anxiety. In order to prove the hypothesis of higher anxiety in a large group than in median and small groups, the authors measured the level of anxiety at the beginning and at the end of each of ten consecutive large group sessions.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Group psychotherapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder].

Working with psychotraumatized war veterans we perceived their extremely regressive position, which is accompanied by several destructive and autodestructive compulsions. Facing the multiple traumatic experiences which they lived through, a certain degree of regression has been appearing, since even a satisfying "nourishing-indulgence of their needs" cannot completely make up for their pre-war position. In this way occurred the splitting between ideal (introjected) object and real object, in which were projected all bad experiences, and which is still persecuting and wants to destroy. Through interactions between all group members of traumatized patients we analyzed the phenomena and the specificities of these groups-particularly their regressive position. The aim of the group psychotherapy was to enable progressive overcoming of regressive position and transition into a more mature stage of development, thus creating a favorable climate for growing up and independence.

Combat Disorders↗