Effect of medical honey on wounds colonised or infected with MRSA.

Full healing was achieved in seven consecutive patients whose wounds were either infected or colonised with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antiseptics and antibiotics had previously failed to irradicate the clinical signs of infection.

[The emotional sensitivity of elderly people--validation of the Profile of Mood States for people over 60 years]. / Die emotionale Befindlichkeit älterer Menschen -- Normierung des Profile of Mood States für über 60-Jährige.

The German short version of the "Profile of Mood States (POMS)" with 35 items (seven-point response scale; rating related to the past 24 hours) was psychometrically tested in a sample of elderly people of 60 years of age and older (n=690; 57% female). The internal structure of the POMS with four factors (dejection, fatigue, displeasure, vigour) could largely be replicated, even though the first three factors are intercorrelated. Reliability of the scales appears to be very good. The convergent validity of the POMS scales could be proved by correlations with the Beck Depression Inventory and the SF-36. Specific norms are presented for four age groups, men and women and elderly living in Eastern and Western Germany. So it seems appropriate to use the German short version of the POMS as a valid and economic instrument for gerontological studies.

[Education in psychosomatic medicine/psychotherapy at German universities: a critical evaluation of the current status]. / Der Unterricht in Psychosomatik/Psychotherapie an den Hochschulen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Eine kritische Bestandsaufnahme.

The integration of psychosomatics/psychotherapy into the medical curriculum has not yet resolved the majority of problems in conveying a bio-psycho-social perspective to medical students. A survey, conducted 1992/93 at the university departments of psychosomatics-psychotherapy in Germany yielded that there is no true integration of a bio-psycho-social perspective into the curriculum up until now. A second investigation with students of the university of Ulm in 1993 revealed that there is substantial variety in the quality of teaching and that improvement is possible with resources already available. Consequences with regard to changes to be expected by the 8th renewal of the present teaching regulations ("Approbationsordnung") are discussed. A pilot project aiming at the integration of preclinical and clinical aspects of the psychosocial aspects of medicine is outlined.

[Method of plan formulation: first German language rehabilitation study of the Joseph Weiss "control mastery theory"]. / Die Methode der Plan-Formulierung: Erste deutschsprachige Reliabilitätsstudie zur "Control Mastery Theory" von Joseph Weiss.

The paper gives a survey of the "Control Mastery Theory" (CMT) of Joseph Weiss. CMT is a cognitive-affective, psychoanalytic theory of the psychotherapeutic process. The San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group empirically investigated und confirmed several concepts of the CMT. Some research results are summarized and the "Plan Formulation Method" is described in detail. The results of the first German reliability study applying the plan formulation method on the case "Amalie" show that the method can be used reliably for research purposes outside the USA.

[Central relationship patterns in comparison with different objects]. / Zentrale Beziehungsmuster im Vergleich verschiedener Objekte.

In the present study the Relationship Episode Paradigm Interviews of 70 female patients with different psychoneurotic diseases were analysed with respect to object-specific patterns with the CCRT method. The most frequent categories are the same in all relationship episodes and in subsamples of relationship episodes with mother and father. These categories are also predominant in episodes with women and men. Relationship episodes with mother do not differ from episodes with father, and relationship episodes with women are not different from episodes with men. But there are substantial differences in relationship episodes with the mother and women and between episodes with the father and men. Patients recount much more positive relationship patterns with women and men than with their parents. This could be understood as a hint of interpersonal resources.

[Critical review of the categorical structures of the core Conflictual Relationship Theme Method (CCRT)]. / Kritik der kategorialen Strukturen der Methode des Zentralen Beziehungs-Konflikt-Themas (ZBKT).

The CCRT-method developed by Lester Luborsky is the most widespread and best established method to assess relationship structures in the field of psychodynamic psychotherapy research. Although its categorical structures are criticised in many different ways there have not been any attempts to modify them. This article points out the inconsistency of the current categorical system and demonstrates first approaches to alternative solutions. For this purpose genetic algorithms are used. Their application in psychotherapy research is demonstrated here for the first time.

Stereotypical relationship patterns and psychopathology.

BACKGROUND: We explored the relationship between the consistency of relationship patterns and the severity of psychopathology. METHOD: Relationship patterns were assessed by means of Relationship Anecdote Paradigm interviews rated according to the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT) method. The repetition of the same type of CCRT components across relationship narratives indicated stereotypical patterns. RESULTS: Subjects treated in an inpatient setting (n = 25) told narratives with more consistent patterns than subjects in an outpatient setting (n = 32). Relationship episodes of normal adults (n = 23) were more flexible compared with the two clinical groups. Especially repetitions of the wish component were closely associated with the severity of psychopathology assessed by SCL-90R. CONCLUSIONS: The consistency of relationship patterns seems to be connected with the severity of psychopathology.