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As an adjunct to the hospital treatment of a selected group of disturbed mothers, their preschool children, aged two to four, were admitted to the hospital with them. The children were seen in group play sessions during their mothers' four-times-a-week psychoanalytically oriented group psychotherapy. Much of the mothers' early therapy material was concerned with their children. Some of them presented their children's behavior as the focus of their treatment rather than their own conflicts. Others expressed concern about the effects their illness might have on the children. In some cases the child was presented as being eminently free from emotional difficulties. Play session observations of these instances often led to the disclosure of disturbed and constricted patterns of behavior which in turn provided clues about the mother's psychopathology.
The mothers seemed to settle down to more productive work in their treatment after being convinced that their children's problems would be recognized. The authors felt that the opportunity to closely observe both mother and child helped them to see the dynamic equilibrium that had developed between them. This equilibrium was disturbed by changes occurring in the mother and a resistance of the mother to her treatment was noted. The authors felt that the children derived some benefit from their play sessions by being better able to respond to the changing attitudes of their mothers.