Gender and perversion--what constitutes a "bad mother"

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Psychoanalysis

Background:

• Revisiting conceptualizations of female perverse behavior is necessary, particularly concerning its intersection with motherhood.
• Existing diagnostic frameworks may inadequately capture the nuances of female perverse actions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the psychic structure of female patients exhibiting self-harm and child mistreatment.
• To explore the generational transmission of perverse behavior in women.
• To differentiate female perverse behavior from male perversion.

Main Methods:

• Psychoanalytic psychotherapy with female patients from a psychosomatic gynecological outpatient clinic.
• Analysis of case material focusing on psychic structure and behavioral patterns.

Main Results:

• Female patients displayed self-harm and child mistreatment, often linked to a generational chain of transmission.
• These patients frequently experienced maternal abuse in their own childhood, directed at their bodies.
• Perverse acts in women are directed inward (self-harm) or outward towards children.

Conclusions:

• Female perverse behavior presents distinct characteristics compared to male perversion, with acts directed against self and/or children.
• Current diagnostic manuals lack sufficient categories for this symptomatology.
• Further research is essential for understanding maternal perverse actions and developing targeted, non-marginalizing treatment strategies.