The residential treatment of a consciously rejected child: a psychoanalytic study with social and legal implications.

In this paper, we proposed to describe the residential psychiatric treatment of a consciously rejected nine year old girl and to comment on some of the major social and legal complications which so frequently accompany such cases. We will begin by describing the nature of residential treatment at Children's Psychiatric Hospital. We will then describe both the mother and the child, with an emphasis on understanding their psychopathology as well as the legal and social issues that arose during treatment. The resolution of the case is then presented, followed by recommendations which we feel are applicable to many similar cases seen at residential settings.