(1939). Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 8:1-17 Notes on Identification in a Case of Depression Reactive to the Death of a Love Object In his paper, Mourning and Melancholia, published in 1917, Freud set forth a psychodynamic interpretation of melancholia on the basis of studies made in a few manic-depressive cases. There was no attempt at wide generalization or claim to universal validity. He agreed that many depressions suggesting a physiological etiology did not come under his consideration of psychogenesis. Further psychoanalytic research by him and others has confirmed and widened the application of the first tentative hypothesis. The chief features of this now familiar formulation are as follows: melancholic depression does not occur without psychopathological predisposition. This predisposition comprises libido fixation at anal levels with a resulting structure similar to that in severe obsessional states although overt manifestations may be lacking. In addition there is included a still deeper and special oral organization which is specific to the pathology of the depressive reaction and different [This is a summary or excerpt from the full text of the book or article. The full text of the document is available to subscribers.] |
