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As adults we want the best for our children. (p. 7)
A deceptively simple statement forms the opening of this rich and thought-provoking work. Wrangsjö and Salomonsson have tackled the task of writing a book on teenagers that both has broad appeal and treats the subject matter with depth and insight. Running throughout is a deep respect and understanding of teenagers and the problems they must tackle. In the spirit of Erikson (1950), they attempt to understand the teenagers' search for meaning and identity. The theoretical backbone of the book is psychoanalytic: the authors draw on a wide variety of writers on adolescence, including Erikson, Laufer and Blos. Their application of the work of Daniel Stern (1985) to the understanding of adolescence is refreshing and innovative. The book also combines insights from an understanding of family therapy. A psychiatric approach and neurobiological understanding of mental illness are part of the integrated approach. Not content with this balancing act, the authors also manage to bring in insights from sociology.
The division of the book into five parts, each of which can be read in isolation but which profit from being read and understood in context, helps to structure the otherwise complex balancing act between different disciplines. The first part of the book looks at the social context of the adolescent, and the second at development from child to young adult. The third and fourth parts go into detail about the evaluation, diagnosis and psychodynamic treatment of adolescents, and form the backbone of the work. The final part of the book looks at combinations of treatments and points to future developments in the field.
The first part describes the complex social situation in which teenagers find themselves. This theme is treated with thoroughness and an eye for detail that