The Rorschach method for obesity assessment: clinical study on a group of obese women

Abstract

SUMMARY. Aim. The purpose of this study is to explore through the Rorschach method the psychological and personological profile of the woman with obesity. Methods. The Rorschach test was administered to 10 women with body mass index of 41.86±9.9 kg/m2 at the clinic for obesity surgical treatment at the University Hospital “Paolo Giaccone” of Palermo. Results. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the Rorschach responses detected in the study show: limited practical and creative sense in managing daily life situations, rigid control of emotions, affective turmoil, sense of inadequacy; sufficient examination of reality and adaptation social. Conclusion. The Rorschach method can be the privileged instrument for obesity, for its remarkable projective value, because it allows to capture the psychic suffering of the obese person, the representation and the image of the self, to identify the interaction between psycho-physical state and emotional investments.