Use Of Transitional Objects Research Articles

Transitional objects, pre-sleep rituals, and psychopathology

The prevalence among college age adults (N = 184) of transitional objects and pre-sleep preparation rituals and their relationship to mental health was investigated. Two scales concerning use of transitional objects and fear of going to sleep, showed statistically significant correlations with self-reports of nightmares, loneliness, depression, and previous physical and sexual abuse. Forty-six students scoring in the highest 15% of the distribution of scores for each scale were compared with students in the lowest 15% on the MAACL and SCL-90-R. High scoring students showed significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, hostility, and interpersonal sensitivity.

Transitional Object Use and Borderline Personality

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article ArticleNo AccessTransitional Object Use and Borderline PersonalityLAWRENCE W. ADLER, and HIRAM E. ZENGOTITALAWRENCE W. ADLERSearch for more papers by this author, and HIRAM E. ZENGOTITASearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Apr 2006https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.144.9.1250-aAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail "Transitional Object Use and Borderline Personality." American Journal of Psychiatry, 144(9), pp. 1250-a–1250 Access content To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access. Personal login Institutional Login Sign in via OpenAthens Purchase Save for later Item saved, go to cart PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry $35.00 Add to cart PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry Checkout Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability. Not a subscriber? Subscribe Now / Learn More PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 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 [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.). FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByDer Nervenarzt, Vol. 90, No. 1An exploratory investigation of the characteristics of consumer fanaticismQualitative Market Research: An International Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1, Vol. 20045530Clinical Neuropharmacology, Vol. 23, No. 3Drug Safety, Vol. 22, No. 1Usefulness of Antiparkinsonian Drugs during Neuroleptic Treatment and the Effect of Clonazepam on Akathisia and Parkinsonism Occurred after Antiparkinsonian Drug Withdrawal: A Double-Blind StudyPsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, Vol. 46, No. 3Psychopharmacology, Vol. 97, No. 1Journal of Neural Transmission, Vol. 71, No. 2Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Vol. 76, No. 6 Volume 144Issue 9 September 1987Pages 1250-a-1250 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 April 2006 Published in print 1 September 1987

The Use of Transitional Objects in Emotionally-Disturbed Adolescent Inpatients

ABSTRACT The use of Transitional Objects (TO) by adolescents is of increasing interest because of the predominance of object relations theory and the growing interest in the borderline patient. Authors interviewed 6 female patients (17–19) about their use of a stuffed animal. They were asked to describe its qualities, their use and communication with it, and to make up a story about it. The TO was described as soothing, loving, always available, always listens; it was given by a significant relative and symbolized union with them. The TO in adolescence fulfills the same needs as in fancy, but can now be expressed in language. The TO for these patients became endowed with the qualities they lacked and took on the characteristics of their own idealized object relationship, much as a healthy person receives self-nurturance by the internationalization of a good mothering object.

Transitional object use and borderline psychopathology.

The authors examined whether transitional object use distinguishes borderline patients from patients with other personality disorders or schizophrenia and from normal subjects. One hundred five subjects were given a structured interview to assess present and past transitional object use. The borderline group had the highest scores on the interview, and the group with nonborderline axis II diagnoses the lowest. Although transitional object use was not specific to the borderline diagnosis, it did emerge as a potentially useful developmental and psychodynamic marker for borderline persons.

The Prevalence and Use of Transitional Objects: A Study of 230 Adolescents

Data regarding the prevalence and use of transitional objects is limited. Most studies in this area are based upon the information gathered from mothers of small children rather than directly from children or adolescents. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 233 adolescents ages 13–14 years. The return rate was 98.7% Eighty-eight percent of the girls and 71% of the boys reported having at least one transitional object (p < 0.01). Significant differences between male and female subjects were found in the areas of prevalence, naming, present whereabouts, and discontinuation of the use of transitional objects.