Citation

Penn ML, Witkin DJ. Psychotherapy 1994; 31(2): 368-374.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/h0090223

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Self-focused attention has been associated with a number of psychopathological and distress related conditions-including depression, alcohol abuse, suicide, eating disorders, anxiety, and loneliness. Ironically, however, increased self-focus is also regarded as a normative aspect of adolescent functioning. Elkind for example, has described adolescent egocentrism as developmentally appropriate and a number of empirical investigations have found that among normal adolescent samples, self-focus increases dramatically between pre- and post-stages of adolescent development. Given the widely recognized link between self-focus and psychopathology, as well as the heightened degree of self-focus that characterizes normative adolescent functioning, it is important to distinguish between normative, adaptive self-focus during adolescence and abnormal or pathological self-focus.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; male; case report; depression; anxiety; loneliness; suicidal behavior; alcohol abuse; article; child psychiatry; self concept; puberty; feeding disorder