Self Psychology and Mood Disorder

Abstract

The self is the state of feeling and experiencing the existence of the subject called “me”. The self is a fragmented self in the newborn. The first part is called the “demonstrative/grandiose self”. When appropriately mirrored and supported by the caregiver, it provides vitality and self-esteem, in other words, a sense of existence. The second part, in which the object of the self is projected, is called the 'idealized parental image'. When the idealized parental image is properly developed in the relationship between the self and the self-object, it provides a balance in tension, the ability to wait/defer and impulse control. While the psychology of the self was initially associated with the concept of narcissism, it has subsequently been used to explain depression. Our findings suggest that self-pathology and mood disorders overlap electrophysiologically. This calls for further investigation of the structural etiology of mood disorder, in other words, whether psychopathology of the self is a predisposing trait for mood disorder.