Psychological birth and developmental crises in Margaret Mahler’s thought

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1981-1624.v28i3p408-424

Keywords:

psychoanalysis, Margaret Mahler, mental development, crisis, individuation

Abstract

This article presents the theory about early human development proposed by the Hungarian pediatrician and psychoanalyst Margaret Mahler. It emphasizes the crises inherent in development, i.e., the naturally disturbing manifestations experienced by infants and toddlers during their first thirty-six months of life. Mahler argues that early infantile neuroses may arise when these phases of altered equilibrium are not satisfactorily neutralized. These neuroses appear as exacerbated, rigid, defensive, and ambivalent responses in the relationship with the love object. This study aims at contributing to a more comprehensive knowledge of early childhood and the impact of natural imbalances in early mental development.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Anna Costa Pinto Ribeiro, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

    Pós-doutoranda no Programa de Pós- Graduação em Psicología na Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil.

  • Fátima Siqueira Caropreso, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

    Professora do Departamento de Psicologia e do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil.

References

Aberastury, A. (1992). A criança e seus jogos. 2 ed. Porto Alegre: Artes Médicas.

Benjamin, J. D. (1961). The innate and the experiential in child development. In H. Brosin (ed.), Lectures on Experimental Psychiatry (pp. 19-42). Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Bergman, A.,Harpaz-Rotem, I. (2004).Revisiting rapprochement in the light of contemporary developmental theories.In Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 52, 555-570. https://doi.org/10.1177/00030651040520020301

Chemouni, J. (1991). História do movimento psicanalítico. Jorge Zahar: Rio de Janeiro.

Coates, S. W. (2004). John Bowlby and Margaret S. Malher: Their lives and theorie. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 52, 571-601. INSS 1941-2460 https://doi.org/10.1177/00030651040520020

Freud, A. (1951). Negativism and Emotional surrender. International J. PsychoAnal, 33:265.

Freud, A. (1982). Infância normal e patológica. Determinantes do desenvolvimento. 4.ed. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar. (Trabalho original publicado em 1965).

Greenacre, P. (1960). Considerations regarding the parent-infant relantionship. In Emotional Growth (Vol. 1, pp. 129-224). Nova York: International Universities Press.

Klein, M. (1969). Notas sobre alguns mecanismos esquizóides. In: M. Klein, Os progressos da psicanálise. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar. (Trabalho original publicado em 1946).

Klein, M. (1981). Psicanálise da criança. São Paulo: Mestre Jou (Trabalho original publicado em 1932).

Mahler, M. S. (1963). Thoughts about Development and Individuation. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 18, 307-324. INSS 0079-7308 https://doi.org/10.1080/00797308.1963.11822933

Mahler, M. S. (1965). On early infantile psychosis: The symbiotic and autistic syndromes. In J. Amer Acad. Child Psychiat (Vol. 4, 554-468). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-7138(09)62158-0

Mahler, M. S. (1967). On human symbiosis and the vicissitudes of individuation. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 15, 740-763. ISSN 1941-2460 https://doi.org/10.1177/000306516701500401

Mahler, M. S. (1971). A study of the separation-individuation process and its possible application to borderline phenomena in the psychoanalytic situation. The Psychoanalytic study of the child, 26, 403-424. ISSN 0079-7308 https://doi.org/10.1080/00797308.1971.11822279

Mahler, M. S. (1972). Rapprochement Subphase of the Separation-Individuation Process. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 41, 487-506. ISSN 2167-4086 https://doi.org/10.1080/21674086.1972.11926608

Mahler, M. S. (1974). Symbiosis and Individuation - The Psychological Birth of the Human Infant. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 29, 89-106. ISSN 0079-7308 https://doi.org/10.1080/00797308.1974.11822615

Mahler, M. S. (1982). O processo de separação-individuação. Porto Alegre: Artes Médicas. (Trabalho original publicado em 1979).

Mahler, M. S. (1983). As psicoses infantis e outros estudos. Porto Alegre: Artes Médicas. (Trabalho original publicado em 1979).

Mahler, M. S., Pine, F., & Bergman, A. (1975). The Psychological Birth of the Human Infant – Symbiosis and Individuation. Nova York, Basic Books.

Mahler, M. S., Pine, F., & Bergman, A. (1977). O nascimento psicológico da criança - Simbiose e individuação. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar. (Trabalho original publicado em 1975)

Mahler, M. S., & Furer, M. (1966). Development of Symbiosis, Symbiotic Psychosis, and the Nature of Separation Anxiety'—Remarks on Weiland's Paper. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 47, 559-560. ISSN 0020-7578

Mahler, M. S., & La Pierre, K. (1965). Mother-Child Interaction During Separation-Individuation. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 34, 483-498. ISSN 2167-4086 https://doi.org/10.1080/21674086.1965.11926361

Mahler, M., & Mc Devit, J.B. (1968) Observations on adaptation and defense in status nascendi: developmental precursors in the first two years of life. Psychoanal. Q, 37, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/21674086.1968.11926448

Pine, F. (2003) Mahler’s concept of “symbiosis” and Separation-individuation: revisited, reevaluated, refined. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 52(2), 511-533. ISSN 1941-2460. https://doi.org/10.1177/00030651040520021001

Ribeiro, A. C. P, & Caropreso, F. S. (2018). A teoria de Margaret Mahler sobre o desenvolvimento psíquico precoce normal. Psicologia em Revista, 24(3), 894-914. ISNN 1678-9563. http://dx.doi.org/10.5752/P.1678-9563.2018v24n3p894-914

Spitz, R. (1987) O primeiro ano de vida. (4 ed.) São Paulo: Martins Fontes. (Trabalho original publicado em 1965)

Spock, B. (1963). The Striving for Autonomy and Regressive Object Relationships. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 18, 361-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/00797308.1963.11822936

Spock, B. (1965). Innate Inhibition of Aggressiveness in Infancy. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 20, 340-343. ISSN 0079-7308. https://doi.org/10.1080/00797308.1965.11823239

Riani, A.; Caropreso, F. (2012). O desenvolvimento psíquico precoce e o risco de psicose de uma perspectiva psicanalítica. Mental, 10(19), 249-265.

Winiccott, D. W. (2000) Da pediatria à psicanálise - Obras escolhidas. Rio de Janeiro: Imago.

Published

2023-12-28

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Ribeiro, A. C. P., & Caropreso, F. S. (2023). Psychological birth and developmental crises in Margaret Mahler’s thought. Clinical Styles. The Journal on the Vicissitudes of Childhood, 28(3), 408-424. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1981-1624.v28i3p408-424