[Psychoanalytic treatment of an early childhood emotionally deprived 8-year-old boy].

The indications for and effectiveness of intensive psychoanalytic psychotherapy of children with early emotional deprivation is discussed based on the case of an 8-year-old boy. Not only is it important to evaluate the symptomatology but also to identify well-functioning "ego islands", which serve as the point of departure for all therapeutic activities. A prerequisite for this type of treatment is a supportive, therapeutic educational environment. Psychoanalytic work seems to be particularly effective in an inpatient psychiatric setting, but it should be continued after the child has been discharged.