A Heuristic Theory of Neurosis

Abstract

Introduction IN a recent communication (Slater, 1943), based on a statistical survey of two thousand neurotic soldiers, a hypothesis was developed to the effect that there was a generalized predisposition towards neurosis, which was in large part responsible for the appearance of neurotic symptoms in the individual when placed under stress. Evidence was adduced that this constitutional tendency, though it might be affected by such environmental factors as early processes of conditioning, was, at least in part, dependent on hereditary factors. Evidence was also brought that it could usefully be considered in a quantitative manner, and that so considered the intensity of the constitutional predisposition varied inversely with the degree of stress under which the individual was placed before breakdown occurred, i.e. the greater the intensity of the constitutional predisposition, the less was the degree of stress required to produce breakdown, and vice versa.

Diathesis-stress theories in the context of life stress research: Implications for the depressive disorders.

“…For example, it is unclear if such thinking implies (a) simple additivity (i.e, the degree of stress and the loading of the diathesis summate, with virtually any complementary combination of sufficient magnitude producing the disorder), (b) simple interaction (ije., a synergism between the diathesis and stress that yields an effect beyond their combined separate effects; Rothman, 1976); or (c) complex interaction (i£., various combinations of additivity and synergism, such as postulating threshold effects for the diathesis). (e.g, Whytt, 1765), which was more recently promoted by Slater and Slater (1944), and is congruent with many contemporary descriptions of diathesis-stress theory (Abramson et al, 1989;Davison & Neal, 1990;Zubin & Spring, 1977) and research (Pollitt, 1972;Stenstedt, 1952).…”

The Concept of Euthymia

“…This syndrome was shown to be associated with a poor response to treatment, a frequency of symptoms throughout the neurotic diagnostic spectrum and a tendency to relapse. The concept of neurosis, in its phenomenological [22] and psychodynamic [23] traditions, still has a lot to teach us in terms of clinical thinking [24]. It is interesting that Eysenck [25 ]referred to neuroticism and introversion by the term of dysthymia.…”

Clinical judgment in psychiatry. Requiem or reveille?

“…pre-existing anxiety disturbances may emerge after pharmacotherapy of a major depressive episode). It recognizes that for most patients a single course of treatment is insuffi cient for yielding adequate improvement and that different combined or with a certain type of abnormal personality, constitute a single syndrome, the general neurotic syndrome (66), in line with the traditional concept of neurosis, in its phenomenological (67) and psychodynamic (68) traditions. The syndrome was shown to be associated with a poor response to treatment, frequent symptoms throughout the neurotic diagnostic spectrum and tendency to relapse (66).…”