Core Curriculum for Forensic Nursing by Price Bonnie;Maguire Kathleen;Price Bonnie;

Author:Price, Bonnie;Maguire, Kathleen;Price, Bonnie; [Price, Bonnie; Maguire, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 4786255
Publisher: Wolters Kluwer
Published: 2016-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Personality and Behavioral Theories

Theories of personality and behavior are used to understand the workings of the mind and human relationships. Most nursing programs include a brief introduction to the major theories. Several are mentioned here, although many more exist. Experience with psychiatric patients will likely prompt additional exploration and use of these theories to understand the thoughts, decisions, and actions of an individual engaged in a forensic mental health setting.

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939). Psychodynamic theory provided the first real language of psychiatric theory, including personality structures, levels of consciousness, instinct, the nature of anxiety, and defense mechanisms. Mental illness is viewed as unconscious conflict from childhood that results in problematic behavior. Treatment is based on exploration of the origins of conflict within the individual and is insight-based.

Carl Jung (1875–1961). Analytical Psychology defined the concept of “persona” as the face that the personality presents to the world. Jung introduced the concept of the “collective unconscious” as a human repository of shared past and myths, including universal archetypes. The treatment goal is the discovery of one’s unique identity.

Harry Stack Sullivan (1892–1949). His Interpersonal Theory focused on interactions between an individual and his or her environment. He suggested that personality is formed through interaction with significant others. Symptoms of mental illness and anxiety arise from interpersonal conflict in significant relationships. Treatment focuses on anxiety and its cause with the therapist as the participant-observer.

Erik Erikson (1902–1994). The basis of Psychosocial Theory is the context of social interaction through which responses to the individual shape the ego, personal mastery, and development through defined stages. Mental illness is viewed as conflict arising from failed mastery of a developmental stage. Psychiatric nurses assess developmental levels and identify interventions to enable the patient to master the requisite tasks of that stage.

Carl Rogers (1902–1987). His Person-Centered Theory of self-actualization uses client-centered psychotherapy. He describes personality as a dynamic process that evolved through relationships. This theory espouses acceptance of the individual and progress is achieved through close collaboration and a strong therapeutic alliance.

Abraham Maslow (1908–1970). The Self-Actualization Theory identifies a hierarchy of human needs. Satisfaction of primitive needs leads to more advanced psychological needs becoming the primary motivating factors. Thus, a cumulative progress leads to a peak experience, which produces long-lasting, beneficial effects.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.