On the theory and practice of the Staabs' test. An overall view for diagnostic-therapeutic use.

From a systemic point of view, Staabs' test findings are always a diagnostic construction. Criteria for their utility in a certain context is whether in addition to other information sources, it can give meaningful indications for the diagnosis and treatment (comp. for instance, also Priebe's 1989 thoughts on psychiatric diagnosis). Nevertheless or just for that reason is the consideration of relatively constant characteristics of a material, the test person as well as relative observation and description dimensions indispensable in order to prevent the danger of options and "overinterpretation". In this paper, an attempt was made at combining the characteristics that have been crystallized as relevant in the work with Staabs' test over the decades up till now and to put them into a theoretic (systemic) diagnostic context. Under these presuppositions, the Staabs' test presents a particularly suitable procedure for making contact with as well as for the diagnosis and treatment, above all, of children and adolescents. Also the use of relationship and family diagnostics and treatment is possible. At the same time Staabs' test has the inestimable advantage in that the test person's cooperation is only very rarely unattainable; in other procedures this is more often the case.

[Illness concepts of children. Validation of a modified locus of control test in illness and health]. / Krankheitskonzepte bei Kindern. Validierung eines modifizierten Tests zu Kontrollüberzeugungen bei Krankheit und Gesundheit (KKG-Test).

We investigated the health and illness concepts of 53 healthy children aged 8 to 14 years using a modified illness and health locus of control scale (KKG, Lohaus and Schmitt, 1989) with the scales internal, external-p (powerful others) and external-c (chance). A comparison of the results with those on self-esteem (FSK 4-6), anxiety (CMAS-R) and hopelessness (HSC) scales showed a decrease in externality, but not an increase in internality, with increasing age and a correlation between self-confidence and a more internal locus of control. The influence of children's health locus of control on treatment compliance is discussed.

[Psychosomatic differentiation in patients following myocardial infarct]. / Zur psychosomatischen Differenzierung von Patienten nach Herzinfarkt.

An experimental study, based upon clinical impressions and theoretical considerations toward a differentiation of patients having suffered cardiac infarction, was employed to investigate the question of differentiation with regard to specific psychosomatic therapy. In conformity with other investigations it was observed that the patients with cardiac infarction could be classified into three groups. The theoretical considerations combined with the results from the experiments were the basis for the recommendation of specific therapeutic measures for each of the three groups: athletic group therapy for the more impulsive patients, single and group therapy for patients with regressive tendencies, combined group therapy in autogenetic training for sociable patients.