This qualitative study explores the unconscious life of four children diagnosed
with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) specifically related to selfconcept,
personality, and psychopathology using a case study approach. A
review of literature on childhood OCD is presented and the study is located
within a psychodynamic theoretical framework. Findings indicate that the
children are emotionally maladjusted, with high levels of anxiety and
psychopathology. They have low self-esteem and poor body images, mostly
tending towards immaturity. Two of the children have personality disturbances
(neurotic, hysterical personalities). All the children have disturbed superegos
(harsh or neurotic).
Although their symptoms are currently mild, and some have ceased, analysis
suggests they have been repressed and continue to affect them. They are
sexually preoccupied and conflicted due to the unsuccessful resolution of the
Oedipus complex. They have poor impulse control and considerable anger
and aggression (mostly overt). They experience their environment as unstable
and frightening and have anxieties about physical injury and being watched.
The boys have regressed sex drives and homosexual tendencies, and have
not identified with their fathers. The girls have identified with their mothers but
experience masturbation guilt and blocked sexual drives, causing anxiety and
moodiness. The children are all highly defended and escape from feelings of
helplessness, inadequacy, and isolation, and discharge anxiety and
aggressive instincts by using the defenses of undoing, reaction formation,
acting-out, fantasy (sometimes violent), projection, displacement, and
intellectualisation. Their strong dependency needs suggest fixation in the oral
stage of psychosexual development. They tend towards self-directed
aggression and depression. Most have family histories of mood disorders
(particularly depression), and obsessions linked to fears of economic hardship
due to parental illness or death. Most have histories of anxiety disorders or
anxiety-related problems, and family histories of anxiety disorders
and/paternal OCD. They all experienced a personally traumatic event
precipitating the onset of OCD.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/4851 |
| Date | 19 May 2008 |
| Creators | Epstein, Tamarin Gwendolyn |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 22057443 bytes, 8558 bytes, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf |
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