With a view to preventing early psychic disturbances, we are interested in the joint work of psychoanalysts, pediatricians and social workers in treating the underprivileged. In this context, we present the thoughts of the Group of Psychoanalysis and Pediatrics at the Children’s Medical and Psycho-pedagogical Center (CEMPI).
We attempt to understand causal factors related to adoption and to its impediments. Our hypothesis is that it is the assumption of the fantasy related to the child that brings about adoption of the fantasy and, consequently, “psychic adoption.” Difficulties in the cathexis of the parents become upheavals in establishing “psychic adoption.” We distinguish between successful adoption, refused adoption (autism), abandonment, and undecided adoption.
These concepts are developed on the basis of the construction of their formulation in literature and in clinical situations. The need to formulate these concepts is justified by the understanding that the related clinical situations are grounds for early intervention.
Psychic adoption; adoption; refused adoption; child autism; undecided adoption; obsessionalization of mothering; abandonment; pregnancy fantasy; mourning