ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case of child psychiatry (named Kathleen) in which a working-class family were enabled to see a child through a psychotic illness of 15 months’ duration. The burden of the case rested on the mother and indsed on the whole family, and the successful outcome was very largely the result of the work done in the child’s home over a period of a year. Kathleen was fond of the aunt and with the female side of her personality had identified herself with her aunt; but she also had to deal with another side of her personality which was much more difficult to get at, that is to say, her identification with the man in the wedding. The sudden peak of manifest anxiety followed the radio story. Perhaps this case may help in the Child Care Worker’s attempt to understand what is going on when children make positive use of foster or adoptive parents, or of a residential school.
