On the place of siblings in psychoanalysis

In summary, this paper is a beginning attempt to close a gap that has existed in the psychoanalytic literature. Scant attention has been paid to the significance of sibling relationships, which have largely been relegated to an ancillary position as the cause of rivalry and envy. It is the contention of this paper that sibling relationships are of far greater significance to ego development, to structural and defensive considerations, and to self and object representations. Further, efforts have been made to delineate some of the ways in which sibling relationships can foster or abet the emergence of pathology in patients. Through the presentation of case studies, it has been shown that siblings are significant objects of internalization and that sibling contacts deserve attention in the analysis of personality development, psychodynamics and in the psychoanalytic treatment process.