Differentiation of self and the decision to seek systemic psychotherapy: a comparison between a help-seeking and a normative sample

ABSTRACT

Bowen and colleagues argued through their clinical observations that psychological distress is a result of low levels of differentiation of self. Starting from these premises, the main objective of the present investigation was to compare a normative sample and a sample of adults seeking services at a systemic therapy clinic. Initially, we assessed differences between groups in dimensions related to differentiation of self and psychological distress. In the second step, we examined whether differentiation of self dimensions would increase or reduce the likelihood that an individual belonged to either of the two groups. The help-seeking sample was comprised of 64 adults seeking therapeutic services, and the normative sample was comprised of 85 students. All participants completed the Differentiation of Self Inventory and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. We found that the participants of the help-seeking sample had significantly higher scores on the Global Severity Index and in I-position and emotional cutoff dimensions. We also found that higher emotional cutoff was the strongest predictor of the probability of belonging to the help-seeking group in the hypothesized model. These data suggest that information about differentiation of self might enable counseling psychologists and therapist to define effective interventions.

KEYWORDS:

• Differentiation of self
• psychological distress
• intergenerational processes
• systemic psychotherapy
• counseling psychology

Compliance with Ethical Standards

In conducting the present research, all relevant ethical guidelines were followed. All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments (or comparable ethical standards).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

J. Lampis

J. Lampis is a research fellow and lecturer in Dynamic Psychology at the University of Cagliari (Italy). Her current research interests focus on the relations between differentiation processes, couple functioning and psychological well-being, cross-cultural differences in family emotional processes, LGBTQ family relationships.

S. Cataudella

S. Cataudella is a research fellow and lecturer in Dynamic Psychology at the University of Cagliari (Italy). Her current research interests include early mother-father-infant relationship, prenatal attachment, parenthood in risk samples (preterm birth, mothers with autoimmune disease) and perinatal mental health.

M. Agus

M. Agus is a psychologist and Ph.D. at the University of Barcelona. She work as statistical technician at the University of Cagliari. Her research interests include the study of research methodology, the construction of assessment instruments and the conduction of statistical data analyses applied to behavioral sciences.

S. Carta

S. Carta is a psychoanalyst, associate professor in dynamic and clinical psychology at the University of Cagliari, Italy. His main interests revolve around the therapeutic issues involving states of consciousness, ethnopsychiatric issues involving trauma, effects of the relationships and use of technology.

M. Rodríguez-González

M. Rodríguez-González is a research fellow in family relations and couple therapy at the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra (UNAV), an interdisciplinary research center for the Humanities and Social Sciences. His current research focuses on the effectiveness of different couple therapy approaches, exploring psychotherapy interventions to improve the emotional self-regulation in adults, and understanding cross-cultural differences in family emotional processes.

D. Lasio

D. Lasiois a research fellow and lecturer in Social Psychology at the University of Cagliari (Italy) and an associate member at the Instituto Universitário de Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL), Centro de Investigação e Intervenção, Social, Lisbon, Portugal. His research interests focus on the discursive construction of gender and sexualities, and related practices of marginalization and discrimination.

F. Serri

F. Serri is a research fellow and lecturer in Social Psychology at the University of Cagliari (Italy). His current research interests include social identity, sexualities, and power and privilege in societies.

W. Galluzzo

W. Galluzzo (7 April 1954- 25 March 2019) was a psychiatrist, a family therapist, a founding member and the President of the European Institute of Systemic Training and Counselling, and Relational Therapy (Iefcos.Tre), Italy. His research interests focused on the sysyemic epistemology, family therapy and group dynamics in the psychiatric practises.