Primary Affective Disorder: Bender-Gestalt Sequence of Placement as an Indicator of Impulse Control

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Abstract
The Bender-Gestalt protocols of 37 bipolar (depression plus mania) and 30 unipolar (depression alone) Ss hospitalized for depression were compared for sequential patterns of placement on the test paper. Of 11 Ss with an itregular sequence and 11 Ss with an overly methodical sequence, 9 were subsequently identified as bipolar and 10 as unipolar, respectively. When these two groups with contrasting sequences were compared on the Ma and Pt scales of the MMPI, the bipolar group had significantly higher scores than the unipolar group on the Ma scale and significantly lower scores on the Pt scale. These results suggest that irregular sequence of placement and lack of impulse control are more characteristic of bipolar depression and overly methodical sequence and impulse control are more characteristic of unipolar depression.

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