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In depressive patients there is invariably a painful early childhood, and one expects to find the earliest depression in infancy. The emotional environment of the adult depression is a situation which repeats the early environment.
In choosing depressive patients for analysis the degree of rigidity of the ego is an important factor. Too much plasticity of the ego means instability and extreme regressive tendency. With a strong ego, i.e. one with a degree of rigidity, the prospect of cure is better.
These conclusions are based on two to four year analyses of five cases of depression.