Missing pages 38 and 39 / This research is based on a sample of 76 couples experiencing a fertility problem. Recruited through a medical fertility clinic and several adoption agencies, the response rate was 43%. Data were collected by weans of written questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The focus of this research is on the way that parenthood identity changes for couples who are unable to have biological children and who therefore pursue adoption as an alternate route to parenthood. Conceptualized as a "transformation of identity", the analysis traces the process by which couples relinquish identification with biological parenthood and assume identification with adoptive parenthood. Several key issues are explored in the study: the impact of infertility on the taken-for-granted weaning of parenthood; critical incidents that initiate the transition to adoptive parenthood; objective and subjective indicators of what it weans to be ready to take on adoptive parenthood; and finally, the resocialization process involved in shifting from biological to adoptive parenthood. Also examined is the relationship between infertility resolution and adoption readiness. The findings suggest that this is not always a sequential relationship as usually assumed, but rather, way be experienced as a concurrent commitment to both biological and adoptive parenthood. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-04T18:29:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Eliane Gasparini.pdf: 2989781 bytes, checksum: 336ce92e619721141fd7369dba5d739c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-02-27 / This study relates the emotional experiences of infertile couples who decided to seek help in reproductive treatment. The objectives were: to investigate and analyze the main emotional reactions experienced by couples during the fertility treatment; to study the consequences of the reproductive treatment in couple s bonds as well as their bonds with the medical staff and the psychologist; to understand the psychic representations of the desire to have children when associated to a reproductive treatment, and to describe the psychologist s impressions and emotional experience in regard to the couples subjected to the study. Six couples with different medical diagnosis for infertility, seeking for medical treatment for such a problem were surveyed as primary source of information. For the purpose of the study were used methods and techniques such as the psychoanalytical method applied to the couple group ? special group ? according to K?es (1977) and Anzieu (1993), as well as he technique of non-directive interview of Bleger (1993), and the projective technique of free drawings. The technique of content analysis proposed by Mathieu (1967) and K?es (1977) was used to analyze the material collected. Psychoanalysis and group analysis theories were employed in the interpretation of couple s subjective experiences. From the analysis of the interviews and drawings, some elements in the couple s group mentality could be identified, among them the hipercatexization of the desire to have children. The difficulties associated to satisfying such desire unchained a regressive movement and also defensive reactions. The attempt to preserve omnipotent fantasies has compromised the process of tolerance to frustration and to the capacity to wait, or reformulation of the couple s projects. Persecutory-related anguishes were broken out, mainly in the elements of the couples whose personality aspects happened to be compromised the most. Infertility diagnosis as well as the various different fertility treatments led to the unstructuring of couple s bonds. We could observe the loss of intimacy and decrease in sexual desire after successive fertility treatments that break link between sexual intercourse and the reproductive act. Both the desire to transmit genetic heritage forward and the appreciation of biologic child are still part of couple s psychic representations. The biological-child, from the same blood, is the dreamt and idealized child. The satisfactory bond that the couple established with medical staff has interfered in how safe they feel and in their levels of hope and confidence that the fertility treatment will yield positive results. The majority of the couples managed to establish satisfactory bonds with the psychologist, using the interview session as a way to freely express their emotional experiences. The experience with infertile couples on one hand has allowed to increase their level of sensitivity in regard to the emotional phenomena associated to infertility, and on the other hand has helped such couples to think about appropriate means to deal with some problems that are a consequence of this situation. The method used in this study has assured good conditions for research and analysis once it has made possible the proper interpretation of the relationships between the elements of the couple, between the couple and the institution and of the couple and the psychologist. A work of such transference nature is based on the assumption that it is possible to understand the intensity of the psychic representations of the couple group. We recommend the creation of new environments where infertile couples can keep on freely discussing their desires, difficulties, fantasies and hopes, making it easier to understand the experiences originated from infertility. / Este estudo relata as viv?ncias emocionais de casais que apresentavam dificuldades para engravidar e que decidiram buscar ajuda na medicina reprodutiva. Os objetivos foram: investigar e analisar as principais rea??es emocionais desencadeadas no casal ao longo do tratamento para a infertilidade; estudar a repercuss?o do tratamento reprodutivo no v?nculo do casal, bem como do casal com a equipe m?dica e do casal com a psic?loga; compreender as representa??es ps?quicas em torno do desejo de ter filhos quando associadas a um tratamento reprodutivo, e descrever as impress?es e viv?ncias emocionais da psic?loga com rela??o aos casais estudados. Foram estudados seis casais, com diferentes diagn?sticos m?dicos para infertilidade, e que buscaram aux?lio na medicina reprodutiva. Utilizou-se o m?todo psicanal?tico aplicado ao grupo casal - grupo especial, conforme K?es (1977) e Anzieu (1993), assim como a t?cnica da entrevista livre n?o-diretiva de Bleger (1993), e a t?cnica projetiva do desenho livre. Para a an?lise do material coletado foi adotada a t?cnica de an?lise do conte?do proposta por Mathieu (1967) e K?es (1977), e para interpretar as experi?ncias subjetivas dos casais utilizaram-se as teorias da psican?lise e grupan?lise. A partir da an?lise das entrevistas e desenhos, alguns elementos foram identificados na mentalidade do grupo casal, entre eles a hipercatexiza??o do desejo de ter filhos. A dificuldade em atender a este desejo desencadeou um movimento regressivo e rea??es defensivas. A tentativa de preservar fantasias onipotentes dificultou o processo de toler?ncia ? frustra??o e ? capacidade de espera, ou reformula??o dos projetos do casal. Ang?stias de car?ter persecut?rio foram desencadeadas, principalmente naqueles c?njuges cujos aspectos da personalidade encontravam-se mais comprometidos. O diagn?stico da infertilidade, assim como os diversos tratamentos provocaram uma desestrutura??o no v?nculo conjugal. Observamos a perda da intimidade conjugal, a diminui??o do desejo sexual ap?s os sucessivos tratamentos que desvinculam as rela??es sexuais do ato reprodutivo. O desejo de transmitir a heran?a gen?tica e a valoriza??o do filho biol?gico ainda fazem parte das representa??es ps?quicas do casal. O filho biol?gico, do pr?prio sangue , ? o filho sonhado, idealizado. O v?nculo satisfat?rio que o casal estabelece com a equipe m?dica interferiu na sensa??o de seguran?a e esperan?a que os casais depositam no ?xito do tratamento. A maioria dos casais conseguiu estabelecer um v?nculo satisfat?rio com a psic?loga utilizando o espa?o da entrevista como forma de express?o livre das suas experi?ncias emocionais. A experi?ncia com os casais inf?rteis possibilitou por um lado sensibiliz?-los aos fen?menos emocionais diante da situa??o da infertilidade, e por outro, pensar em meios apropriados para resolver alguns dos problemas que surgem diante desta problem?tica. O dispositivo t?cnico que institui a interpreta??o para o trabalho psicanal?tico com os casais sobretudo aqueles inseridos na institui??o garantiu boas condi??es de pesquisa e an?lise, j? que possibilitou a interpreta??o necess?ria entre as rela??es dos membros do casal, entre o casal e a institui??o, e do casal com a psic?loga. Um trabalho desta natureza, de an?lise intertransferencial, baseia-se na concep??o de que ? poss?vel compreender a intensidade das representa??es ps?quicas do grupo casal. Recomendamos a cria??o de novos espa?os onde os casais inf?rteis possam continuar a discutir livremente sobre seus desejos, suas dificuldades, fantasias e esperan?as, facilitando a compreens?o das experi?ncias advindas com a infertilidade.