Which Tablet to Buy

via an Althouse article find in the NY Times.

A recent post by Althouse led me to look up something. I went to PubMed and used the search term psychoanalysis and then chose the filter Clinical Trial which is in the left column (giving you at least pretty close to this article list).

The abstract of the third article in the list is: BACKGROUND: Psychotherapy is apparently an insufficient treatment for some patients with mood or anxiety disorder. In this study the effectiveness of short-term and long-term psychotherapies was compared with that of psychoanalysis. METHODS: A total of 326 psychiatric outpatients with mood or anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to solution-focused therapy, short-term psychodynamic and long-term psychodynamic psychotherapies. Additionally, 41 patients suitable for psychoanalysis were included in the study. The patients were followed from the start of the treatment and assessed 9 times during a 5-year follow-up. The primary outcome measures on symptoms were the Beck Depression Inventory, the Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scales, and the Symptom Check List, anxiety scale. Primary work ability and functional capacity measures were the Work Ability Index, the Work-subscale of the Social Adjustment Scale, and the Perceived Psychological Functioning Scale. RESULTS: A reduction in psychiatric symptoms and improvement in work ability and functional capacity was noted in all treatment groups during the 5-year follow-up. The short-term therapies were more effective than psychoanalysis during the first year, whereas the long-term therapy was more effective after 3years of follow-up. Psychoanalysis was most effective at the 5-year follow-up, which also marked the end of the psychoanalysis. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotherapy gives faster benefits than psychoanalysis, but in the long run psychoanalysis seems to be more effective. Results from trials, among patients suitable for psychoanalysis and with longer follow-up, are needed before firm conclusions about the relative effectiveness of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders can be drawn.
J Affect Disord. 2011 Jul;132(1-2):37-47. Epub 2011 Feb 12. Quasi-experimental study on the effectiveness of psychoanalysis, long-term and short-term psychotherapy on psychiatric symptoms, work ability and functional capacity during a 5-year follow-up. Knekt P, Lindfors O, Laaksonen MA, Renlund C, Haaramo P, Härkänen T, Virtala E; Helsinki Psychotherapy Study Group. Source Social Insurance Institution, Helsinki, Finland. paul.knekt@thl.fi

And the abstract of the second article in the list is: OBJECTIVE: Transference interpretation is considered as a core active ingredient in dynamic psychotherapy. In common clinical theory, it is maintained that more mature relationships, as well as a strong therapeutic alliance, may be prerequisites for successful transference work. In this study, the interaction between quality of object relations, transference interpretation, and alliance is estimated. METHOD: One hundred outpatients seeking psychotherapy for depression, anxiety, and personality disorders were randomly assigned to 1 year of weekly sessions of dynamic psychotherapy with transference interpretation or to the same type and duration of treatment, but without the use of transference interpretation. Quality of Object Relations (QOR)-lifelong pattern was evaluated before treatment (P. Høglend, 1994). The Working Alliance Inventory (A. O. Horvath & L. S. Greenberg, 1989; T. J. Tracey & A. M. Kokotovic, 1989) was rated in Session 7. The primary outcome variable was the Psychodynamic Functioning Scales (P. Høglend et al., 2000), measured at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 1 year after treatment termination. RESULTS: A significant Treatment Group × Quality of Object Relations × Alliance interaction was present, indicating that alliance had a significantly different impact on effects of transference interpretation, depending on the level of QOR. The impact of transference interpretation on psychodynamic functioning was more positive within the context of a weak therapeutic alliance for patients with low quality of object relations. For patients with more mature object relations and high alliance, the authors observed a negative effect of transference work. CONCLUSION: The specific effects of transference work was influenced by the interaction of object relations and alliance, but in the direct opposite direction of what is generally maintained in mainstream clinical theory.
J Consult Clin Psychol. 2011 Oct;79(5):697-706. Effects of transference work in the context of therapeutic alliance and quality of object relations. Høglend P, Hersoug AG, Bøgwald KP, Amlo S, Marble A, Sørbye Ø, Røssberg JI, Ulberg R, Gabbard GO, Crits-Christoph P. Source Department of Psychiatry, University of Oslo, Norway. p.a.hoglend@medisin.uio.no

For a duffer in music How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons: The Fastest, Easiest Way to Learn to Play from Sheet Music or by Earis a great book, the octave, the postions on the keyboard, a begining in appreciation in the 'step up' in notes is even better on second reading of the first chapter. I bet his other booksare also good.

A “Center-Libertarian” Nation?

Fr. Fox and the recent election lead me to reflect on the relation of Church authority in the state. The Church needs to be careful not to be too intrusive. As I blogged Oct. 12, Fr. Farkasfalvy was in Rome when John XXIII said he wanted to have a Vatican Council. The reaction of the Curia was, he says 'Why do you want to do that? With the doctrine of infallibility you can do anything you want.' But that's part of the point. When the Pope was elected, he told his intimates, 'You won't find me saying anything infallible.' So maybe even the Pope was a bit of a cafeteria Catholic. One possible interpretation of Pope John XXIII making the categorical statement that 'he would not be making any infallible statements' is that he didn't fully believe a Pope could do so. That the Pope was not capable of making infallible statements was an opinion expressed by John Henry Cardinal Newman. The fact that Cardinal Newman is now declared a saint would suggest that the opinion that the Pope is infallible is not of utmost importance. The affirmative decision that he is was made in Vatican I as the cardinals were hastily departing from their place of meeting as the French or Italian armies were bearing down on them. The Holy Spirit may guide them but that is asking rather a lot. As to what the Church should say, I think, fundamentally, the leaders of the Church have made errors in protecting the innocent such that they should by all means tell the faithful what is right or wrong but that those rules, for the faithful, must be made laws for others when there are opposing prudential arguments might be excessively intrusive.

Immigration Reform

In Dallas, you can drive down Northwest Highway and the sign on the bank says,'Acceptamos Matricula,' accepting the Mexican identity paper for opening a bank account. That is consistent with current U.S. law. Well, we accept their money based on carrying the card; how about accepting the bearer of the money. In the EU Frenchmen were moving to Ireland for jobs. That didn't mean they would vote in Irish elections or a referendum. Why not do the same here and have free flow of persons in the NAFTA area? That would instantly legitimize the Mexicans in the U.S.

There's no success like failure

"Republicans, in particular, seem increasingly desperate for the satisfaction of an electoral outcome that does not, let's face it, seem particularly likely," says Megan McArdle. I suppose I see El Norte, northern Mexico and southern Texas, as an unofficial part of the American nation and Republicans aren't going to win without some accommodation in attitude there. Romney lost having eliminated Perry and appealing to angry Republicans on that issue, one of several issues where anger didn't serve them well with the general electorate. Also Romney may have been a better Bush; but, once Bush had allowed the leverage debacle, those able to control the money are whipping boys and will be perversely, because it is a Democrat song, until 'the good times are back again' with wealth generating economic activity but the sons of Coolidge are going to have not to let leverage go to their heads or again their heads will be handed to them.

An Educated Man: A Dual Biography of Moses and Jesus by Rosenberg, David published by Counterpoint Paperbackmade note of several books in the closing 'letter to Benedict,' the Pope's Jesus of Nazarethseries, also Rabbi Neusner's A Rabbi Talks with Jesusthough The Brother of Jesus: James the Just and His Missionmay be more interesting, also One Destiny: An Epistle To The Christians

Sandy and climate

Sandy, though a tropical storm, imparted more energy to the coastline because of its size than recent higher category storms.. Bloomberg endorses Obama because of his nod to climate change, however, in relation to Obama's industrial policy solution I might ask the mayor, 'How's that working out for ya?' If the Atlantic ocean is hotter, it has more energy to give and perhaps will. The solution might be to give it less energy. We might have the Air Force put a reflective umbrella in orbit high above the equatorial Atlantic. While the emperor of climate is at it, we might ask her if we could have el Nino rather than la nina as that determines drought or rainfall in Texas.

Music

Althouse cited Mark Knopfler going with Dylan to WI. Texas Rose, a female blogger, had linked to Knopfler and a female country star I don't remember. Got the alum, terrific. ubslate.com has a $49 tablet at least so WSJ says today, 11-2, in a video about cheap 'rich items.'