Related Experiment Videos
"Is it me, or isn't it?"--transplanted organs and their donors as transitional objects
1Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland. lutz.goetzmann@usz.ch
American Journal of Psychoanalysis
|September 16, 2004
Summary
Lung transplant recipients perceive their donor and transplanted organ as transitional objects, aiding psychic integration. This Winnicottian concept highlights both positive coping and potential integration challenges post-transplant.
Area of Science:
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Transplant Psychology
- Psychoanalytic Theory
Background:
- The concept of "transitional space" by D.W. Winnicott is explored in psychosomatic transplant literature.
- Psychic integration of transplanted organs and donors is a key area of study.
- Qualitative research methods are employed to understand patient experiences.
Observation:
- A case study involved semi-standard interviews with 20 lung transplant patients.
- Two specific passages concerning the transplanted organ and donor were analyzed.
- The analysis focused on Winnicott's "transitional phenomenon" model.
Findings:
- Patients, even years post-lung transplant, view the organ and donor as transitional objects.
- The donor is perceived as an idealized, present individual.
- The transplanted lung is experienced as partially belonging to both donor and recipient, indicating incomplete psychosomatic integration.
Implications:
- Transitional objects (donor/organ) facilitate creative coping and daily life adaptation for recipients.
- This strategy represents a positive assimilation of the transplant.
- Transitional phenomena can also signal difficulties in overcoming the organ transplant and highlight disintegrative processes.