ABSTRACT
Referral: by mother, on account of restlessness and uncontrolled behaviour, truanting, romancing, lying, disobedience, petty pilfering, and staying out late at nights. Family background: illegitimate; adopted at 3 years after his mother's marriage; lives with mother, adoptive fatller, adoptive paternal grandmother. Household crowded when other relatives have lived tllere for certain periods. Mother: attractive, unstable, and insecure; hysterical symptoms of long standing; parents separated, brought up strictly by grandmother. Nervous breakdown in puberty caused her to develop acute fears and temporarily to lose speech. At 14 years, left school, looked after mother, who was then separated from her husband and pregnant by another man. After trouble between her and her mother, she left and took various jobs. Became pregnant with Andrew by a naval man who left her before the baby was born in a Home. When he was 3, she married. Relationship with child is inconsistent; she has high and restrictive standards, is unable to tolerate aggression from him. When told she herself was in need of help, she was willing to have treatment. Adoptive father: clerical worker. Mother describes him as unsympathetic and moody; not very strong. Gives more attention to his mother than to his wife. Sees little of Andrew, as he leaves for work early and returns late. Discipline is divided between him, the mother, and the grandmother. Many family quarrels; wife has threatened to leave him. Adoptive paternal grandmother: hypochondriacal, nagging; antagon-
is tic and rejecting towards Andrew, restrictive and abusive towards the mother. During the boy's treatment, attempted suicide and was admitted to a mental hospital where she died.
