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Understanding derived from psychoanalytic child development research can lead to the application of preventative mental hygiene measures and may form the basis for modifications in techniques of psychotherapy. In addition, it is useful for theory building that may, in turn, suggest new areas of investigation.
Three interests are stressed in a discussion of the findings of psychoanalysts: (1) the effects of early physical malformations on personality development; (2) current relevance of maternal deprivation studies; and (3) the usefulness of Margaret Mahler's concepts of child development for the understanding and treatment of more disturbed patients.