The role of the other in mourning

Mourning is a highly social process. This paper's thesis is that surviving objects play a crucial role in the accomplishment of a number of the major psychological tasks of mourning. To illustrate the thesis, the psychoanalytic treatment of a man suffering the aftermath of parental loss in adolescence is presented. The failure of the social surround to assist with mourning is identified and explored, and the treatment implications of the role of the other in mourning are discussed.