title: Object relations and nursing care of persons experiencing psychosis.
abstract: Object-relations theory explains human behavior in terms of a person's inner experiences of others, which are called objects. Internalization of relationships, projective identification, and containment are concepts within object-relations theory that help to explain the confusing and frustrating behavior of acutely psychotic patients. These concepts also provide a framework for understanding the reactions of nurse clinicians to psychotic behaviors. This article explains the basic principles of object-relations theory, illustrates the concepts through a case study, and proposes nursing interventions from an object-relations perspective.
authors.affiliation: Catawba Hospital, VA, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Connick Jamison
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Kane
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D011385:Projection; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology