Psychoanalysts' conception about Generalized Anxiety Disorder

GÓMEZ PENEDO, JUAN MARTÍN; LEIBOVICH DE DUARTE, ADELA; ETCHEBARNE, IGNACIO; JUAN, SANTIAGO; ROUSSOS, ANDRES

Virginia Beach

Congreso; 43rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychotherapy Research,; 2012

Society for Psychotherapy Research

Aim: Although Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is considered to be a conceptual heir of the 1895 Freudian notion of Anxiety Neurosis (Roemer, Orsillo, & Barlow, 2002), it is not a diagnosis commonly used within the psychoanalytic framework. The goal of the present study was to analyze the theoretical conceptualization made by expert psychoanalysts, regarding patients that meet GAD criteria. Methods: A convenience sampling, integrated by 10 psychoanalysts from Buenos Aires, that fulfilled the expertise criteria established by Eells et al. (2011), was used. Individual semi-structured interviews with each participant were conducted. Psychoanalysts were asked, explicitly, about their clinical and theoretical view on GAD. In order to analyze the data, a clinical qualitative approach was used based on Consensual Qualitative Research criteria (Hill, Thompson y Nutt-Williams, 1997; Hill et al. 2005). Results: Seven Domains were identified through the analysis. The most frequent Categories generated were: GAD and Anxiety Neurosis’ link; GAD and Anxiety Hysteria’s link; GAD’s nosographic validity; GAD and its link with Insecure Attachment; and GAD’s association with Pimitve Anxieties. Mutual relationships among the most frequent and clinically relevant categories were established, developing conclusions and new hypothesis for future research. Discussion: The results suggest some specific characteristics identified in this kind of patients, which could be integrated into an updated psychodynamic comprehension about GAD.