Constructive and Reconstructive Activities in the Analysis of a Depressed Child

ANDREW WAS THE SECOND CHILD OF A PSYCHIATRICALLY ILL mother and a subdued father with a strong family history of depression. His infancy was lived under the shadow of marital crisis and maternal depression and hospitalization. His parents separated when he was 6 years old. Before age 7, he was failing in school and was persistently sad. He spoke little, lay on the floor sucking his thumb, ate with his hands, and, at times, crawled and barked like a dog. Psychoanalysis during three years, from ages 7 to 10 years, allowed him to understand his sadness and anger and the meaning of some of his symptoms. A newly discovered artistic creativity flowered, served its therapeutic purposes, and faded. Andrew was able to move forward in his development but remained sober and quiet.

During the course of Andrew's analysis, his experience of recurrent loss was reconstructed, mainly through the use of his nonverbal modes of communication (Solnit and M. Kris, 1967). In this discussion, I will describe these reconstructive activities