The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child (An Annual), 13, 1958: Leo A. Spiegel, M.D. (New York). 'Comments on the Psychoanalytic Psychology of Adolescence.' Pp. 296–308.

In contrast with the relative fixity in latency of the three psychic systems, much of the disturbance of adolescence can be viewed as sequelae of disturbed intersystemic relations. The influx of sexual drives tends to disrupt the psychic apparatus. It is the task of adolescence to assimilate this genital sexuality into the self.

Another significant task is the establishment of a relatively fixed sense of self or of ego identity. The

anxiety and guilt from the reanimated Oedipus complex results in the withdrawal of cathexis from object to self representations with subsequent oscillations of cathexis between self and object. The creativity of adolescence may be linked indirectly to cathectic oscillations. Through artistic creation, self may become object and be then externalized and thus may help to establish a balance of narcissistic and object cathexes. Some aspects of preadolescent psychology in girls indicate a flight from the life of imagination and a maturational development of capacities for reality mastery which helps to withstand the narcissistic surge of adolescence.

While it is not possible to plot the vicissitudes of interstructural relations through the various stages of adolescence, the author makes a number of observations focussed on this area which have technical and prognostic significance when therapy is a consideration.