title: Autobiography as a tool for self-construction: a study of patients with mental disorders.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to explore how the autobiographical process can lead to a transformation in the quality of psychiatric patients' self-narrative. Fifteen participants, with ages ranging from 25 to 40 years and affected by axis I psychiatric disorders (DSM IV), were selected to participate. A 10-question interview referring to 10 autobiographical cruxes was used to collect autobiographical data; the interview was readministered 2 weeks later. A coding system (the N.O.I.S.) was used to analyze each participant's 2 autobiographical productions. Results from the second interviews showed significant and positive transformations in the quality of patients' autobiographical representation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Florence, Via S. Nicolò, 93, Firenze, 50125, Italy. smortian@psico.unifi.it
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smorti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Risaliti
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pananti
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cipriani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001325:Autobiographies as Topic; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D019455:Self Psychology