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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1995

Catharsis: a literature review.

A review of the catharsis literature by its nature must begin with an examination of its development from emotion. This allows us to understand why so much controversy surrounds catharsis as a therapeutic notion. The study of emotion and its various facets, such as the role of language and gender differences, are discussed. Definitions of catharsis and an examination of the evidence for the three major forms of catharsis follow. This enables the relevance of catharsis as a stress management technique in the self-care of nurses and other healthcare professionals to be examined. The review concludes that there is a paucity of mental health nursing evidence to support the value of catharsis as a skilled nursing intervention. The existing inconclusive evidence from other sources, such as psychology, does tend to support the use of catharsis in some situations. Finally, recommendations for particular aspects of future catharsis research are also suggested.

Catharsis↗

PubMed1994

Catharsis: an investigation of its meaning and nature.

Nurses commonly use catharsis and cathartic techniques as part of their clinical practice to enable clients and themselves to release emotion, to feel better and to facilitate coping. However, the literature does not provide clinical nursing evidence for its use. The main purpose of the investigation is to examine the beliefs about and understanding of catharsis which two groups of nurses hold: one group of nurse teachers and one group of nursing students. One hundred and forty-two respondents completed self-administered questionnaires asking about their understanding of and beliefs about catharsis as being beneficial, social, negative or psychotherapeutic in nature. The possible relationship of their answers to age, sex, philosophical orientation and qualifications was deemed to be important. The results suggest nurses understand that catharsis is related to emotion and has a psychotherapeutic purpose. However, there appear to be gaps in their understanding. Nurses also seem to believe that the release and expression of emotions is more acceptable for women than for men. There is also evidence that the more experienced nurses think differently from less experienced nurses, placing more emphasis on behaviour rather than emotion as they grow older. The problems associated with catharsis are discussed along with the implications for research and practice.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Effects of viewed violence and aggression: stimulation and catharsis.

Tests of the catharsis hypothesis involving viewed violence have led to conflicting results. It was suggested that the inconsistencies were due in part to the use of two different types of response measures, aggressive responses and hostile responses. This study involved a direct comparison of the two types of responses under conditions of instigation versus no instigation and aggressive versus neutral film. It was hypothesized that viewing an aggressive film would lead to a decrease in hostile responses (catharsis) and an increase in aggressive responses (stimulation) when compared with a neutral film condition. It was also hypothesized that both stimulation and catharsis effects would be enhanced under instigation conditions. A main effect of instigation was found with subjects in the instigation condition having higher scores than those in the noninstigated condition. A main effect of film was found with subjects having lower scores in the aggressive film condition than in the neutral film condition. A significant Film times Response Outlet interaction was found which offered support for the predicted catharsis effect on the hostility measure. There was no support for the predicted stimulation effect on the aggression measure. The results of the study offer support for the main thesis that in examining the effects of viewed violence, separation of hostile responses and aggressive responses is necessary for full understanding.

Abreaction↗

PubMed2006

Catharsis and moral therapy II: An Aristotelian account.

This article aims at analysing Aristotle's poetic conception of catharsis to assess whether it may be of help in enlightening the particular didactic challenges involved when training medical students to cope morally with complex or tragic situations of medical decision-making. A further aim of this investigation is to show that Aristotle's criteria for distinguishing between history and tragedy may be employed to reshape authentic stories of sickness into tragic stories of sickness. Furthermore, the didactic potentials of tragic stories of sickness will be tried out. The ultimate aim is to investigate whether the possibilities of developing a therapeutic conception of medical ethics researched in a previous article on catharsis and moral therapy in Plato may be strengthened through the hermeneutics of the Aristotelian conception of tragic catharsis.

Catharsis↗

PubMed1990

Catharsis reconsidered.

Mainstream psychiatry and psychotherapy have held for many years that cathartic psychotherapies involving powerful emotional expression have limited value. The conventional wisdom is that they are either dangerous, or ineffective, or that their effectiveness is short-lived. This paper reviews the origins of this conventional wisdom and makes two findings. Firstly, that there is remarkably little serious research into cathartic psychotherapies, but what there is tends to support catharsis. Secondly, that the periods in the last 200 years when cathartic methods have fallen into disrepute have often coincided with threatened or actual scandals involving prominent practitioners of cathartic psychotherapy. Four models of catharsis are described; the "Hydraulic", the "Pavlovian", the "Cathexis", and the "Holographic". The discussion suggests situations in which catharsis would be likely to prove useful, and indicates potential risks.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1994

Catharsis and abreaction in the history of psychological healing.

With roots in ancient religious practices of purification and cleansing and in ancient medicine's purgings, Plato evolved a verbal catharsis for diseases of the soul, and Aristotle developed a catharsis of the passions through tragic drama. Through the centuries, most cultures have had recognized contexts in which emotions were evoked, heightened in intensity, and ultimately released or discharged; and cathartic procedures can be detected in many cultures' healing practices. The late decades of the nineteenth century saw the emergence of numerous psychological healings with a cathartic basis. Catharsis came to mean the lively remembering of a traumatic experience in addition to the emotional release; and the term abreaction frequently was used to refer to the emotional release. Subsequently, the notion that the recovered traumatic memories needed to be integrated with the rest of the patient's mental life became a third significant element. The significance of these three factors has been debated vigorously; but, whether it has been some combination of them or merely the emotional discharge, there has been a cathartic element in many twentieth-century approaches to psychological healing.

Abreaction↗

PubMed2006

Catharsis and moral therapy I: a Platonic account.

This paper aims at analysing the ancient Greek notions of catharsis (clearing up, cleaning), to holon (the whole) and therapeia (therapy, treatment, healing) to assess whether they may be of help in addressing a set of questions concerning the didactics of medical ethics: What do medical students actually experience and learn when they attend classes of medical ethics? How should teachers of medical ethics proceed didactically to make students benefit morally from their teaching? And finally, to what extent and in what forms and formats can the kind of cathartic treatment envisaged by Plato still be considered a necessary preliminary to moral learning? The three questions will be addressed by means of a reconstructive analysis and assessment of the Platonic notions of catharsis and holistic therapy present in the Charmides and the Sophist. Besides, the didactic potential of Plato's dialogue form and moral regimen will be tried out. The ultimate aim is to investigate the possibilities of developing a therapeutic conception of medical ethics.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Catharsis, aggression, and persuasive influence: self-fulfilling or self-defeating prophecies?

Does media endorsement for catharsis produce a self-fulfilling or a self-defeating prophecy? In Study 1, participants who read a procatharsis message (claiming that aggressive action is a good way to relax and reduce anger) subsequently expressed a greater desire to hit a punching bag than did participants who read an anticatharsis message. In Study 2, participants read the same messages and then actually did hit a punching bag. This exercise was followed by an opportunity to engage in laboratory aggression. Contrary to the catharsis hypothesis and to the self-fulfilling prophecy prediction, people who read the procatharsis message and then hit the punching bag were subsequently more aggressive than were people who read the anticatharsis message.

Aggression↗

PubMed1987

A survey of psychologists' perspectives on catharsis.

A questionnaire assessing endorsement of the hostility catharsis hypothesis was developed and administered to 102 undergraduate students and 131 American and Canadian psychologists (randomly selected from 4 divisions of APA). Results indicated that students scored higher on endorsement of the catharsis hypothesis than did psychologists; females in general scored higher than males; psychologists not recently involved in research scored higher than psychologists who were so involved; and Freudian and Humanistic theorists scored higher than Behavioral theorists.

Abreaction↗

PubMed1988

Sorbitol catharsis does not enhance efficacy of charcoal in a simulated acetaminophen overdose.

The use of a 70% sorbitol solution has recently been advocated as an adjunct to activated charcoal. This results in rapid and profuse catharsis that could possibly cause fluid and electrolyte imbalance. An investigation was undertaken to determine if sorbitol catharsis enhanced the antidotal efficacy of activated charcoal. Eight healthy volunteers participated in a randomized, crossover trial. Subjects ingested 3 g of acetaminophen followed by either no intervention, 50 g of plain activated charcoal at one hour, or 50 g activated charcoal-sorbitol solution at one hour. Serial acetaminophen levels were determined at intervals over eight hours and side effects noted. Both interventions significantly reduced the area under the curve versus control (P less than .05). The addition of sorbitol did not enhance the efficacy of activated charcoal but did increase the side effects noted. Sorbitol has not been proven effective in enhancing drug removal and has side effects that can be significant in a poisoned patient. Current data do not warrant its use, and further investigations should be carried out with other ingested drugs.

Acetaminophen↗

PubMed1976

Idiopathic bile acid catharsis.

In the course of extensive routine screening for bile acid malabsorption a few patients were detected in whom chronic diarrhoea was apparently induced by excess bile acid loss which was neither associated with demonstrable conventional ileopathy nor with any other disorder allied to diarrhoea. In three patients subjected to scrutiny the results obtained were in harmony with a concept of idiopathic bile acid catharsis. Ingestion of cholestyramine was followed by immediate relief, but the diarrhoea recurred whenever this treatment was withdrawn. It it suggested that idiopathic bile acid catharsis should be suspected in patients with unexplained chronic diarrhoea and especially in those with a diagnosis of irritable colon with diarrhoea.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

An introduction to catharsis and the healing crisis in reflexology.

This paper explores the concept of healing through catharsis in relation to the practice of reflexology. The literature will be reviewed to inform a critical analysis of the role of the reflexologist and specifically the therapeutic relationship. This area was chosen as I have had experiences of reflexology clients reporting feeling 'emotional', 'being tearful', and 'thinking more about their lives' past and present'. These observations have been illuminated by a recent study that suggests reflexology can be helpful for people with emotional needs (Trousdall 1997). Emotional and physical responses to reflexology are traditionally attributed to 'detoxification' and the signs of it occurring known as a 'healing crisis' (Sahai 1993, Griffiths 1995). Consideration will be given to the practitioner's skills and support, issues of boundaries to practice, and the effective management of patient's emotional and physical responses. The safety and potency of the therapeutic work will be key elements to the discussions.

Adult↗

PubMed1975

The facilitation of aggression by aggression: evidence against the catharsis hypothesis.

Nnety male subjects were either attacked or treated in a more neutral manner by a male confederate. On a subsequent maze-learning task, one third of the subjects shocked the confederate, one third observed as the experimenter shocked the confederate, and one third waited for a period of time during which the confederate was not shocked. Finally, all subjects shocked the confederate as part of a code-learning task. Subjects who had been attacked and had shocked the confederate during the maze task delivered shocks of greater intensity on the code task did subjects in the other two conditions, and the former subjects also experienced a greater reduction in diastolic blood pressure than did the latter. The results contradict the hypothesis of aggression catharsis and are discussed in terms of feelings of restraint against aggressing that a subject experiences after committing an aggressive act.

Abreaction↗

PubMed1988

The Censorship of pornography: catharsis or learning?

Contemporary research on pornography reveals an impasse between the models of catharsis and learning. Preference for the latter by a recent government report is based on ideological rather than scientific considerations. The breakdown in the liberal tradition, current pornography research based on behaviorism, and two major theoretical problems are discussed. The interface among psychology, sociology, and literary criticism is suggested as a positive direction for understanding pornography; censorship, however, may obstruct research and fail to advance feminist goals.

Abreaction↗

PubMed1991

The irrationality of the catharsis theory of aggression as justification for educators' support of interscholastic football.

The notion that hostile feelings can be catharted from the psyche by playing football or other aggressive sports was virtually destroyed by behavioral scientists several decades ago. Nonetheless educators continue to support interscholastic football as a means of venting the aggressive emotions that supposedly characterize adolescence. This work examines this phenomenon, concluding that educators realize the sport actually increases aggression but hide behind the outdated hypothesis about catharsis to perpetuate the sport--an activity which gives them much pleasure.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1980

[Physiological reactions in catharsis].

By employing catharsis as a psychotherapeutic method after Krestnikoff, respiration, pulse rate, blood pressure, body temperature, sweat secretion and urinary constituents were studied in groups of different numbers of patients. While the values of respiration, pulse rate and sweat secretion were found to be subject to a pronounced influence, blood pressure and body temperature were relatively stable. Urinalysis showed in many cases an increase in excretion with a decrease in the specific weight and a change from the acid to a slightly alkaline milieu.

Abreaction↗

PubMed1989

Magnesium toxicity secondary to catharsis during management of theophylline poisoning.

Multiple doses of oral activated charcoal are used increasingly to promote elimination of toxins that have already reached the bloodstream; this is often referred to as gastrointestinal dialysis. Cathartics usually are used in conjunction to hasten transit of the charcoal-adsorbed toxin. In the present case, a regimen of activated charcoal and magnesium citrate was used to treat a patient with theophylline poisoning. It was effective in lowering the patient's serum theophylline concentration but produced an elevated magnesium level associated with decreased responsiveness, confusion, and diminished deep tendon reflexes. Magnesium citrate may not be the optimal cathartic for use in gastrointestinal dialysis, at least in selected patients. Sorbitol has been shown to produce a more rapid catharsis without disturbing magnesium serum concentrations. Therefore, the use of sorbitol in place of magnesium citrate, at least in selected patients, may be preferred.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Substitution of renal function through skin catharsis: evidence from the classical period to the Middle Ages.

The skin's cleansing capacity has been known for centuries and has been used therapeutically and extensively for a great number of diseases. We studied the historical evolution of the methods used for catharsis through the skin, particularly for those in renal failure, by reviewing most of the existing ancient Greek and Byzantine codices dealing with the skin's cleansing capacity. From the fragments cited in this article, it is evident that the ancient medical writers were well aware of the mechanism of perspiration, and through this process the excretion of several body toxins, they knew about renal failure as well as the influence of environmental temperature on blood purification via the skin. To validate their views, we reviewed the seasonal variation of the average values for blood urea, creatinine, and electrolytes for 161 regular dialysis treatment (RDT) patients in four dialysis units in southern Greece. The estimations were carried out during the winter/summer 1997, 1998, and 1999 terms and included three winter months and three summer months. We traced an unexpectedly large number of references in the ancient and medieval Greek medical literature concerning detoxification through the skin, mainly regarding patients in renal failure. This seasonal variation hypothesis is supported by the results of our retrospective study: there was a difference of 16 mg/dL in the average blood urea (mean winter urea 182 mg/dL, mean summer urea 166 mg/dL). We suggest that the ancients had a vivid idea about the substitution of renal function by the skin's cleansing ability in renal failure. The previously mentioned phenomenon may be due to the elimination of blood urea through excessive perspiration. Our clinical results seem to verify their notions, and hence, the skin (like the peritoneum) may be considered a natural membrane for dialysis. We were unable to trace a similar report in the literature on the seasonal fluctuation of blood urea in dialysis patients.

History, Ancient↗