Child Sexual Abuse, Cancer, and Other Diseases Assessed by the Rorschach: Systematic Review

Abstract

Some traumatic experiences arising from the forensic and clinical context may lead to self-perceptive, affective, and cognitive alterations, indicating the importance of verifying the origin that motivated these changes. This literature review aimed to identify the shared and discrepant variables of the Rorschach method in assessing victims of sexual abuse and patients with cancer and body diseases. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA), the review found 11 articles published between 2008 and 2018: four about victims of sexual abuse, six about patients with body diseases, and one about cancer patient. The shared variables were self-perception (MOR), interpersonal relationship (PER, PHR, T, AG), affection (SumC’, SumY), and perceptual adjustment (FQ-). Victims of sexual abuse differed in regard to self-perception (An), interpersonal relationship (GHR), ideation (M, PTI), and some traumatic content (Bl and Sx). In turn, patients with cancer and body diseases differed regarding interpersonal relationship (CDI, FD), affection (CF + C > FC, SumV), ideation (Mp, WSum6, ALOG, DV, DR), processing (Zd, DQv, PSV and Dd), mediation (P, S-, X-% and Xu%), and control (D, AdjD, es). The shared results indicate the prominence of the body, the impaired self-perception, and feelings of depression and anxiety. In victims of sexual abuse, the body signaled marks of traumatic experiences, whereas in patients with cancer and other diseases it indicates feelings of anguish and death. This study contributes to assisting in evaluations and psychological interventions aimed at this population.

Keywords:
Psychological Assessment; Projective Method; Psychic Trauma