Being with a psychotic child a psycho-analytical approach to the problems of parents of psychotic children
Tischler, S.
International Journal of Psycho-Analysis 60(1): 29-38
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0020-7578 PMID: 457339 Document Number: 145653
The reactive and adaptive responses of parents to their overtly psychotic children are described and an attempt is made to reconstruct the specific mother/infant interactions contributing to the development of different types of childhood psychosis. The concepts of 'maternal structure' and of 'delusional primary maternal preoccupation' are found to be relevant in this context. These considerations throw light on some aspects of countertransference encountered by workers in this field and of creative search in general. Whilst exploring parental psychology and psychopathology this paper attempts to outline the psychodynamic environment of the psychotic child at the various stages of his life and dis-ease. It emphasizes the value of the psychoanalytical approach as a guide in such an exploration and as a source of hope for better understanding and more effective interventions, both therapeutic and prophylactic.