Ethology and psychotherapy

During the last 25 years, ethology has developed systematic and quantitative methods for studying psychiatric patients' behavior, especially nonverbal behavior. Both research results as well as theoretical considerations may be of interest and value for psychiatric interviews and psychotherapy. Direct observations of endogenously depressed patients on the ward show significant behavior changes from admission to discharge. The depressive phase is characterized by withdrawal, nonspecific gaze, looking down, little self-activity, little motor activity, and a substantial reduction of social interaction. The recovery phase is characterized by verbal and nonverbal communication, that is , nod, smile, laughter, gesticulation, help, and others. Such behaviors are primarily useful for the assessment of a patient's mental state in the ward environment. In addition, they may also contribute to the psychiatric interview and future psychotherapeutic situations. These elements are related to four basic motivation categories: relaxation, assertion, contact, and flight. The theoretical considerations include evolutionary theory, ethological theory, and regulation-deregulation theory.