Daniel Stern’s Journey in Infant Psychiatry

Abstract

This interview with Professor Daniel Stern, conducted on February 16, 2012 by Dr. John Talbott, reviews the field of infant psychiatry, the history of which goes back more than 100 years. Sigmund Freud, then Melanie Klein, Anna Freud, Donald Winnicott, and, finally, Margaret Mahler, all psychoanalysts, influenced its development. Direct observation of very young infants and their mothers began in the latter half of the 20th century, and the subsequent course shifted through the influence of developmental psychologists and ethologists. This review concludes with Dr. Stern's predictions and fears about future directions of the field.