title: Motherhood and early interaction in a schizoaffective patient: the story of a long-term psychotherapy.
abstract: This paper focused on motherhood in a patient with a schizoaffective disorder. The core of the treatment was to build a strong therapeutic alliance in which compliance with medication and elaboration of mental processes could be achieved. Pregnancy and motherhood are a time of crisis in the life of women. For the schizoaffective patient this crisis threatens the deepest level of functioning and challenges attachment patterns. Comprehensive treatment including psychosocial support, medication and psychotherapy is able to protect the baby to be, the early relationship between mother and baby, and the development of the child over time in this high-risk family. However, the commitment over years of the same psychotherapist also seems one of the most powerful tools.
authors.affiliation: Child Psychiatry Clinic, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland. florence.schmitt@tyks.fi
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Ilpo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.forename: Jorma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000523:psychology*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors