The psychodynamic approach

1. The psychodynamic approach Presentation by Jobeda, Najiba,kratz and Nida.

2. Development of approach • The psychodynamic approach was first developed by Freud and Karl Abraham. • This approach links depression with the loss of a loved one. • The symptoms are constant weeping, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, loss of pleasure and general withdrawal.

3. The stages • It is noted that mourners regress to the initial stage in Freud’s developmental stage, the oral stage. • Regression to the oral stage allows the mourner to regain the lost loved one symbolically through the merging their identity with that of the lost person. • The oral stage basically allows mourners to regain love the lost love.(this stage usually help mourners to move on.) • If individuals do not resolve in this stage then it leads to depression.

4. Depression • According to Freud and Abraham, individuals most likely to become depressed are those whose needs were under met during the oral stage and 18 months after being in the oral stage . • Bemporad 1992 says that theses individuals often spend their lives searching for love and approval, which can in turn have a greater impact when an individual passes away.

5. Freud and Abraham theory, the imaginary loss. • Freud and Abraham formulated a formula for those who did not experience the loss of a loved one but had depression. • For them the concept of imaginary loss was used. • Imaginary loss is a concept where one interprets life events as severe loss for example a simple failure to that individual is equivalent to the loss of a loved one. • The ‘severe losses’ occur constantly an and eventually lead to depression.

6. Criticisms • Very speculative in the fact that it doesn’t have evidence to support the approach. • The psychodynamic approach ignores genetic factors in the development of schizophrenia. • Psychotherapists continue to use the relationship between parents and children, and lack of meeting needs during childhood still responsible for the development of depression. • However this doesn’t stop theses theories from being used for the explanation of unipolar depression.