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The emergence of psychopathology in a previously adaptive mother-infant dyad
1Child and Adolescent Outpatient Department, Cornell University Medical Center, White Plains, NY 10605.
A mother and her six-week-old infant began attending group therapy sessions designed to raise awareness of developmental events. The mother consistently displayed a high degree of responsiveness and sensitivity to the infant's needs; in fact, her behavior served as a model of adaptive interaction for the entire group. After six months of sessions, when the infant manifested full-blown weaning patterns, the mother reported symptoms indicating a major depressive episode, such as pervasive dejection and rejection, listlessness, and anxiety attacks. After several individual sessions, during which discussion focused on the etiology of these emotions, the depression remitted and the mother was able to resume previous adaptive interaction designed to promote the infant's development. This case study reveals that highly adaptive parents may be susceptible to depression when developmental events that signify imminent separation from their infants or a similar dramatic change in their relationship occur.
A mother and her six-week-old infant began attending group therapy sessions designed to raise awareness of developmental events. The mother consistently displayed a high degree of responsiveness and sensitivity to the infant's needs; in fact, her behavior served as a model of adaptive interaction for the entire group. After six months of sessions, when the infant manifested full-blown weaning patterns, the mother reported symptoms indicating a major depressive episode, such as pervasive dejection and rejection, listlessness, and anxiety attacks. After several individual sessions, during which discussion focused on the etiology of these emotions, the depression remitted and the mother was able to resume previous adaptive interaction designed to promote the infant's development. This case study reveals that highly adaptive parents may be susceptible to depression when developmental events that signify imminent separation from their infants or a similar dramatic change in their relationship occur.