Separation-individuation Process Research Articles

When the separation-individuation process goes awry

Problematic separation-individuation has been conceptualized almost unilaterally as separation anxiety or as intolerance of being alone (i.e., dysfunctional dependence). However, as separation-individuation involves a dynamic interaction between independence and relatedness, it was argued in this study that disturbances in the separation-individuation process could manifest in at least two ways; that is, as dysfunctional dependence and as dysfunctional independence. In a sample of 232 emerging adults, we examined correlates and outcomes of the two types of dysfunctional separation-individuation. We found that both types were related in similar ways to depressive symptoms and a general measure of pathological separation-individuation. Yet they were associated differentially and in theoretically expected ways with: (a) dimensions of attachment (i.e., anxiety and avoidance); and (b) dimensions of personality that confer vulnerability to depression (i.e., dependency and self-criticism). In addition, person-centered results showed evidence for four groups of individuals with distinct profiles of separation-individuation (i.e., healthy, dysfunctional dependent, dysfunctional independent, and combined). Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

Perceived Parenting and Separation-Individuation in Belgian College Students: Associations with Emotional Adjustment

ABSTRACT The present study examined associations among perceived parenting, separation-individuation, and emotional adjustment in a convenience sample of college students in Belgium (N = 350; 68% female; aged 18 to 26). In line with a conceptual model advanced in the literature, factor analysis supported the distinction between three dimensions of separation-individuation: overdependence and healthy separation (both of which had already been described in earlier research) and a new dimension, labeled excessive autonomy. Path analysis findings were consistent with a mediational model in which lower quality of perceived parenting predicted more excessive autonomy, which in turn predicted poorer emotional adjustment. In addition, healthy separation predicted superior emotional adjustment, whereas overdependence was not associated with this particular type of adjustment. Implications for current understanding of the process of separation-individuation in college students and of excessive autonomy, in particular, are discussed.

Pitfalls of the psychotherapy of twins with eating disorders

Scientific literature is limited on problems related to the psychotherapy of twins, especially eating disorders. This paper discusses the therapeutic difficulties encountered with two anorexic and one bulimic sets of twins. The three case reports show that the symbiotic tendency of twins is a frequent phenomenon, which may be a special resistance against change, and can serve as a factor maintaining the pathological state. In many cases, the parental behaviour strengthens the symbiosis of the twins, instead of helping the individuation. The integration of individual and family therapeutic interventions is proposed. The separation-individuation process of the twins can be stimulated by individual sessions with each of the twins, or separate sessions during family therapy (i.e., sessions with the parents and with one of the twins). In this case, the best strategy would be to have the individual and family therapies conducted by the same therapist.

The Internalization of the “Father” Object Among Young Men and Its Relation to Separation–Individuation Patterns, Anxiety and Depression

While the father’s influence on his offspring’s personalities and well-being has historically been neglected, literature on this topic has recently been accumulating. The father’s influence is touches upon numerous practical and ethical implications for social work, psychotherapy, and psychodiagnosis. The present study draws from Mahler’s (Mahler, Separation individuation. The selected papers of Margaret S. Mahler, 1963, 1967, 1974; Mahler et al., The psychological birth of the human infant. Symbiosis and individuation, 1975) theory of the psychological birth of the child and offers a novel focus on the pivotal internal representation of the father. According to this theory, hindered developmental processes lead to depression and anxiety. 130 students took part in the current study, in which the internal father object was examined with regard to separation–individuation processes, and the levels of anxiety and depression were recorded. The study’s results show a significant negative relation between the quality of the paternal object and levels of anxiety and depression. A theoretical model was constructed to illustrate the similarities and discrepancies in the development of depression and anxiety in light of the father object as mediated by the separation–individuation processes that were examined.

Differential Experiences and Separation-Individuation in Adolescent Twins

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-differentiating perceptions and the separation-individuation process in adolescent twins compared to non-twin siblings. A group of 32 twins aged 12-20 years, and a group of 31 non-twin adolescents aged 12-19 years were evaluated using a socio-demographic and clinical information form, the Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience (SIDE) and the Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence (SITA). There were no significant differences between the twin and the non-twin adolescents with respect to mean scores of SIDE and SITA subscales. Although there were significant differences in the relation of differential peer characteristics to separation-individuation process in two groups, differential experiences of twins related to interactions with their co-twins, mothers and fathers affection and controlling behaviors were much more correlated with healthier separation-individuation in adolescence compared to non-twin adolescents. The above-mentioned aspects of selfdifferentiating perceptions of twins will be important in helping them during the process of separation-individuation Keywords: Adolescence, differential experience, separation-individuation, twins

Birth Order Effects on the Separation Process in Young Adults: An Evolutionary and Dynamic Approach

The present study analyzes the differential contribution of a familial or social focus in imaginative ideation (the personal fable and imagined audience mental constructs) to the separation-individuation process of firstborn, middleborn, and lastborn children. A total of 160 young adults were divided into 3 groups by birth order. Participants' separation-individuation process was evaluated by the Psychological Separation Inventory, and results were cross-validated by the Pathology of Separation-Individuation Inventory. The Imaginative Ideation Inventory tested the relative dominance of the familial and social environments in participants' mental constructs. The findings showed that middleborn children had attained more advanced separation and were lower in family-focused ideation and higher in nonfamilial social ideation. However, the familial and not the social ideation explained the variance in the separation process in all the groups. The findings offer new insights into the effects of birth order on separation and individuation in adolescents and young adults.

To eat or not to eat : quelles sont les modalités de relations d’objet à l’œuvre dans l’anorexie mentale ?

In a psychodynamic and anthropological approach, based upon clinical cases, the author discusses certain modalities of object-relations observed in anorexia nervosa. They are approached according to three incidences in the field of the intrapersonal, the interpersonal and intracultural. From the intrapersonal point of view, the struggle against the oral greediness underlined by the native destructive impulse towards the primary object seems to be at the heart of anorexic's intrapsychic conflict and phantasy. The inability to integrate the ambivalent feelings towards the mothering object is related to the survival of an early sadistic super-ego due to fixation in the early stages of the oedipus conflict and to the relative failure to work through the depressive position. This failure to work through this milestone developmental position reactivated during adolescence strengthen, in a kleinian perspective, the use of obsessional and manic defences, which remain insufficiently efficient to appease the anxieties of objectal loss and the underlying paranoid anxieties. From the point of view of interpersonal object-relation, emphasis is put on the false-self organization characterized by the significant submission to the narcissism of the primary object to the detriment of the vitality of the subject's narcissism. Modalities of parents–child transaction are in line with the locking of child's emotional concerns. The oral gratifications and the regression they require are poorly tolerated whereas we can observe an enhancement of social conformity, performance, asceticism and an overinvestment of body image as a place of control of the affects and as a central identificatory axis. Finally in terms of intracultural object-relation, anorexia nervosa is considered as a model of misconduct provided by society and culture allowing the subject to seal his mental suffering. Anorexia nervosa may be a symptom apparel overdetermined by sociocultural factors, used by teenagers to try to allay their anxieties of separation and to heal their schizo-paranoid anxieties during the reactivation of the separation-individuation process around the puberty.

“Why do they have to grow up so fast?” Parental separation anxiety and emerging adults' pathology of separation‐individuation

This study examined associations between parental separation anxiety, controlling parenting, and difficulties in the separation-individuation process, as manifested in separation-individuation pathology. In a sample of emerging adults involved in the process of home leaving (N = 232) and their parents, it was found that parental separation anxiety is positively related to separation-individuation pathology in emerging adults. Dependency-oriented controlling parenting served as an intervening variable in the relationship between parents' feelings of separation anxiety and pathology of the separation-individuation process in emerging adults. These associations were not moderated by emerging adults' residential status (i.e., living with parents or (semi-)independently), suggesting that parental characteristics and behaviors remain important antecedents of separation-individuation pathology even when one no longer lives in the parental household.

Assessment of the Familial Relationships of Young Adult Children of Separated Parents

The aim of this work was the psychometric study of six scales designed to assess the familial relationships of young adult children of separated parents. The analyzed constructs are interparental conflict, loyalty conflict, coalition, parentification, children's perceptions of the parent–child relationships, and young adult perception of the separation–individuation process. Internal consistency and factorial validity was studied through a sample of 535 Spanish young adults from disrupted and nondisrupted families who were between 20 and 30 years old. The confirmatory factor analyses showed a certain acceptability of the original structures of all scales, with Bentler–Bonett Nonnormed Fit Index, Bentler–Bonett Normed Fit Index, and comparative fit indexes above .90 in all cases, and root mean square error of approximation below .05 in the multifactorial scales and slightly higher in the unifactorial ones. The internal consistency values were between .89 and .94 in the unifactorial scales, and between .70 and .92 in the multifactorial ones. The estimations found for the factor saturation supported the acceptability of the original structures. It is concluded that all the scales within this set present acceptable properties, in terms of dimensionality and internal consistency. The limitations are pointed out.

Adolescent brain development, risk-taking and vulnerability to addiction

Adolescents (12–18 years old) and young adults (18–25 years old), are more likely than older adults to drive-or agree to be driven-recklessly or while intoxicated, to use illicit or dangerous substances and to engage in both minor and more serious antisocial behaviour. Numerous factors during adolescence may lead to or favour initiation of drug use, such as sensation-seeking, gregariousness and social conformity. These aspects, however, cannot be dissociated from the increased sex drive and quest for an integrated self. In the separation-individuation process, relationships with peers play many different roles: a field for experimentation, emotional support, a place for “projection” and “identification”, and the possibility of finding a partner. Unsurprisingly, therefore, drug use generally takes place in a group setting. Despite evidence of heightened real-world risk-taking, laboratory studies have yet to yield consistent evidence that adolescents, when on their own, are more inclined towards risky behaviour than their elders. Moreover, their comprehension and reasoning abilities in risky decision-making situations are roughly equivalent to those of adults. Structural and functional neuroimaging studies have shown that neural circuitry undergoes major reorganization during adolescence, particularly in those regions of the brain relating to executive functions, the self and social cognition, and that the “emotional brain” may play a role in that reorganization. Age-related decreases in gray matter volume mainly reflect a reduction in the number of synapses and the complexity of axonal ramifications. By 18–20 years old, most of the subcortical white matter and association pathways have reached a plateau. Risk-taking behavior and novelty-seeking may provide, with an appropriate feed back, a mechanism to optimize brain development in adolescence.

Brief Parent-Child Group Therapy for Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Developmental Perspective on Cognitive-Behavioral Group Treatment

The use of cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy in treating childhood anxiety disorders has become widespread. This paper examines the dynamic processes underlying cognitive-behavioral group treatment for children with anxiety disorders and for their parents, with particular focus on the process of separation-individuation. Both children and their parents were empowered through processes of sub-grouping and thus helped to differentiate and separate. We consider this parallel dynamic process an important factor that can enhance cognitive-behavioral treatment.

Separation-Individuation Issues and Castration Anxiety: Their Curious Influence on the Epigenesis of Myopia

This author suggests that myopia is related to psychogenic factors involving an unconscious representation of, and defense against tension. Further, the argument is made that such tension directly causes the extra-ocular muscles of the eyeball to tighten, ultimately creating the errors of refraction, which define the condition known as myopia. The author makes the case that the specific nature of the tension has to do with an interruption in the separation-individuation process that has occurred, in which the myopic individual experiences separation anxiety, and is now "required" to stay close to the mother for fear of abandonment. Apparently, the only way myopes are then able to achieve some sort of psychological distance is through the development of high-level abstract conceptualization abilities. In addition to separation fears, this author notes that myopes exhibit significantly higher levels of castration anxiety as compared with normal-sighted individuals, matched in IQ. Tables showing empirical findings supporting the above psychoanalytic interpretations are provided for the readers review.

O Processo de separação-individuação em adolescentes do sexo masculino na transição para a paternidade

O presente estudo investigou o processo de separação-individuação de adolescentes do sexo masculino na transição para a paternidade. Os participantes foram três adolescentes, com 16 a 18 anos de idade no início da coleta de dados, residentes em Porto Alegre. Foi utilizado um delineamento de estudo de caso coletivo, de caráter longitudinal, para avaliar tal aspecto junto aos adolescentes no terceiro trimestre de gestação, terceiro mês, primeiro e segundo ano do bebê. Os relatos dos participantes foram analisados através de análise de conteúdo qualitativa, buscando investigar indicadores da segunda (Blos, 1996) e terceira (Colarusso, 1990) individuação. Foi possível constatar características das duas fases desse processo, especialmente no segundo ano do bebê, indicando que a paternidade, apesar de dificultar a vivência de algumas tarefas específicas da adolescência, trouxe alguns avanços no aspecto emocional.

Review of Margaret Mahler: A biography of the psychoanalyst.

Reviews the book, Margaret Mahler: A biography of the psychoanalyst by Alma Halbert Bond (see record 2008-07778-000). This psychobiography tells an evocative tale of the late Margaret Mahler's embattled, difficult, yet highly productive life. Mahler was a developmental researcher and a psychoanalyst. Her delineation of the separation-individuation process dramatically shifted psychoanalytic developmental theory, altering psychoanalytic understanding of pathogenesis and treatment. Her understanding of the mother-child matrix, as well as her approach to studying it, directly affected psychoanalytic child therapy as well, focusing clinical attention on the moment-by-moment vicissitudes of early development and also upon the possibility of altering its course through therapeutic intervention in the mother-child relationship. The book suffers from a number of problems: the narrative is sloppy, marred by numerous jarring, obvious, even surprising flaws. There is tremendous repetitiveness-sentences and whole passages are repeated verbatim within several pages. There are multiple errors, inconsistencies, and contradictions, including in the chapter notes and bibliography. Along with this shoddiness, there is reliance upon antiquated, sometimes simply inaccurate, conceptualizations and definitions of psychoanalytic and psychological ideas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

The Relations of Adolescents' Separation-Individuation,the Internet Recreation Service Preference and Their Pathological Internet Use

The Internet brings about the adolescents an exciting and colorful recreation world. Meanwhile, the pathological Internet use (PIU) among adolescents has caught some attention. It is believed that both the individual factors of adolescents and the functions of the Internet are related to the PIU. Separation-individuation is a very important developmental task which is presumed to have significant adaptational consequences for adolescents. The imaginary audience ideation is considered to serve defensive functions in separation-individuation process. The present research examined the relations between the separation-individuation, imaginary audience, preference of the Internet recreation service, and PIU among Chinese adolescents. The present study conducted a questionnaire survey with Chinese adolescents (n=332). The separation-individuation was measured by the reduced version of Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence (SITA), which was reduced and revised by Italian researchers Ingoglia, Inguglia, and Liga, et al. (2004) . (The SITA was developed by Levine, Green, and Millon, et al., 1986). The imaginary audience was measured by the New Imaginary Audience Scale, which was developed by Lapsley et al. (1989). In present study, the Adolescent Preference of the Internet Service Scales (Lei Liu, 2005) and the Adolescent Pathological Internet Use Scale(Lei Yang, 2006) were used to measure the preference of the Internet recreation service and PIU of the adolescents, respectively. And the data was analyzed with SPSS 12.0 and Amos 4.0. The results indicate that (1) both the preference of the Internet recreation service and the PIU among the male students are significantly higher than the female; (2) both the separation anxiety and the rejection expectancy could predict PIU positively; (3) the preference of the Internet recreation service could predict PIU; (4) the imaginary audience ideation could predict PIU; (5) the engulfment anxiety could predict PIU indirectly through the Internet Recreation service Preference; (6) both the self-involvement and separation anxiety could predict PIU indirectly through the imaginary audience ideation. Lanthier and Windham (2004) argued whether the Internet use was addictive or non-addictive was depended on the users' individual factors and their attitude to the Internet use. The findings of the present study support their view. The results indicate that the special developmental task, separation-individuation, the imaginary audience ideation during adolescence, and the preference Internet recreation service work together to predict the adolescents' PIU.

Affectivity: Regulation, Identity Formation, and Metaphorical Thought

ABSTRACT Understanding affects, and their multiple roles in all aspects of the human condition and development, has more and more become a focus of study for contemporary psychoanalysis. Psychodynamic personality theories have always regarded affective life as pivotal to developmental experiences, the evolving structures of the personality, identity formation, and clinical processes. The centrality of emotion in development and affect regulation, as a maturational theme in the adolescent stage, are explored through the views afforded by object relations theory and ego psychology, intersubjectivity, the second separation individuation process, and unconscious metaphorical thought in the dream states of two clients and their therapist.

A conflict between distance and closeness: the mother's bittersweet experience of becoming separate from her toddler

This paper uses the rapprochement subphase of the child's separation-individuation process (Mahler, Pine & Bergman, 1975) as a framework for thinking about mothers’ separation processes. Complementing a wealth of research into the child's development, more recent work also focuses on mothers and their own processes of separating. I interviewed eight mothers with children between 16 and 24 months old and aimed to give them their own voice and subjectivity. At times these mothers appeared to defend against separation and separateness, which were experienced as a loss, as anxiety-provoking, and as dangerous. At other times they described boundaries in their relationship as positive in as much as they enabled separateness and containment. The mothers expressed highly conflicting desires and presented an inconsistent picture of separation. Settlage (1980) viewed rapprochement as a dependence-independence conflict for the child, and this research suggests that mothers, too, experience ambivalence and conflict over separation.

Influence of adolescent maternal characteristics on infant development.

The present study proposed that several adolescent maternal variables would be associated with infant development. Using a sample of 71 adolescent mother-infant dyads, the study examined the relative influences of the adolescent's level of separation-individuation (Separation-Individuation Process Inventory), feelings of attachment towards the infant (Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale), and feelings of anxiety regarding separation (Maternal Separation Anxiety Scale) on infant mental and motor development (Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd ed.). As it was assumed that the adolescent's perceptions of being parented would provide the foundation for each of these independent variables, this factor was also included (Parental Bonding Instrument). In the current sample, adolescent separation-individuation was the only maternal psychological variable to uniquely predict infant development, but only on the mental scale. Present findings highlight the importance of considering critical developmental processes of adolescence when exploring cognitive functioning and other outcomes in infants of adolescents. A number of possible mechanisms for the influence of separation-individuation are considered in the discussion.

Awa ou Hajuratou ou Haguiratou ou Safietou ou Safi ou la quête de l'identité par un adolescent au Burkina-faso

Illustrated by the clinical case of Salif, a fifteen year-old adolescent, the authors show how a central problem of childhood and its related conflicts are acted out during adolescence from facts that should be placed in the cultural context, and which could be considered as commonplace: in the present case, the various names attributed to the boy's mother. During this reactivation period of the separation-individuation process, with a heightened need for autonomy and identity, Salif puts to use his personal resources and environment in an attempt to resolve the conflicts.

Separation-individuation processes of adolescent children of parents with multiple sclerosis

The current study examines the implications of responsibility and obligation on separationindividuation processes and the appearance of various symptoms of psychological distress in adolescent children of multiple sclerosis (MS) parents. We examined 56 children, between the ages of 10 and 18 years, each with a parent with MS. The results were compared to a control group of 156 children whose parents were healthy. Children's emotions were examined by means of two questionnaires: Youth Self Report (YSR), and Separation Individuation Test of Adolescence (SITA). It was found that children with a MS-affected parent displayed higher levels of depression and anxiety than children from the control group. Furthermore, children in the study group reported a greater degree of separation anxiety, compared to the control group. We conclude with clinical recommendations for developing therapeutic interventions for adolescents to MS-affected parents, as well as for their ill and healthy parents.