The perimenarche syndrome (a proposal).
We present here two cases with depression and obsessional symptoms, in which the patients were 11-year-old girls just prior to the advent of menarche. Their clinical picture was fairly different from the one which Deutsch, H., Jacobson, E. and Blos, P. described in their classical cases so far. In our cases the regression to preoedipal level was very prominent, that is, the rapprochement crisis-like state (Mahler, M.S.) with transitional objects such as stuffed animals and dolls (Winnicott, D.W.) was observed. It was believed that with such a background there were changes in the parent-child relationship in preadolescence which the premature physical growth among recent children had brought about, and changes in the concept of the mother and father which cultural vicissitudes had induced. It was also indicated that this kind of direct observation would contribute not only to the encouragement of the sound development in this period of life, but also the understanding and treatment of adolescent or adult cases.
Ushijima
S
S
Department of Psychiatry, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kobayashi
R
R
D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D004775:Enuresis / Q000523:psychology; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D011606:Psychosexual Development; D011613:Psychotherapy; D013577:Syndrome