The Mental Functioning Profile: some operational proposal.

The PDM represents an essential tool for the conjunction between case clinical formulation and nosographic diagnosis. As for the PDM becomes an essential “synthesis” approach toward the various and complex psychodynamic “Know How”. In the meanwhile it also supplies to some unequivocal limits of the international nosography. Despite these undeniable merits, the PDM, in its actual conformation, also presents some limits. The purpose of this work consists in trying to fill these gaps, so as to facilitate its clinical use. The goal we aim at is due to the fact that the Manual needs to be improved about M and MCA Axis, although enriched by the given considerations. Such characteristic has reference to three domains: a) the reference to a consolidated but not always current and up to dated literature; b) a limited attention to clinic practice; c) poor clarity of mental functioning categories defining process. Our contribution to the PDM clinical applicability goes through: - analysis of the original Manual bibliography; - close examination of the most recent literature with the purpose to improve the theoretical synthesis; - diagnostic tools proposal easy to be used in the professional practice. For each of the 9 categories of M and MCA Axis, we will implement therefor an exposure aimed to the: a. definition of the Mental Function introduced in the manual; b. examination of probable criticisms about the proposed definition; c. proposal of psychodiagnostic tools useful for a clinical evaluation of the mental function under examination. The chapter ends with the presentation of a diagnostic tool specifically created to organize clinical observation of mental functions according to PDM’s perspective.