Advanced Search

The American Journal of Psychiatry, VOL. 130, No. 1

Articles | January 01, 1973

Schizophrenia: A Family's Projective Identification

JAMES R. STABENAU

Am J Psychiatry 1973;130:19-23.

View Article Information

Professor and Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Hartford, Conn. 06112

1973, The American Psychiatric Association

Article

text A A A

PDF of the full text article.

Abstract

By means of projective identification, parents may contribute to the differential life course leading to schizophrenia in a family member. The author presents the case history of a family with a set of monozygotic male twins discordant for schizophrenia. The father, by suggesting that one twin was more vulnerable than the other, helped establish in that twin a negative identity, an inhibition (rather than a neutralization) of instinctual expression, and an aggressive (rather than libidinal) tie with the parents. The ego splitting that resulted seemed to be based on the child's projective identification in a pathologically defensive way.

Figures in this Article

Your Session has timed out. Please sign back in to continue.

Username

Password

Sign in via Athens (What is this?)

Athens is a service for single sign-on which enables access to all of an institution's subscriptions on- or off-site.

Forgot Password?

Not a subscriber?

Subscribe Now/Learn More

Purchase Online access to this article for 24 hours

PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-IV-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing PsychiatryOnline@psych.org or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

CME Activity

There is currently no quiz available for this resource. Please click here to go to the CME page to find another.

Submit a Comments

Please read the other comments before you post yours. Contributors must reveal any conflict of interest.
Comments are moderated and will appear on the site at the discertion of JBJS editorial staff.

* = Required Field

Comment Author(s)*(if multiple authors, separate names by comma)

Example: John Doe

Affiliation & Institution*

Comment Title*

Comment*

Cancel

Topics

Product Recommendation

CME Activity