Resumo

RIBEIRO, Anna  e  CAROPRESO, Fátima. Psychological birth and developmental crises in Margaret Mahler’s thought. Estilos clin. [online]. 2023, vol.28, n.3, pp.408-424.  Epub 17-Out-2025. ISSN 1415-7128.  https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1981-1624.v28i3p408-424.

This article presents the theory about early human development proposed by the Hungarian pediatrician and psychoanalyst Margaret Mahler. It emphasizes the crises inherent in development, i.e., the naturally disturbing manifestations experienced by infants and toddlers during their first thirty-six months of life. Mahler argues that early infantile neuroses may arise when these phases of altered equilibrium are not satisfactorily neutralized. These neuroses appear as exacerbated, rigid, defensive, and ambivalent responses in the relationship with the love object. This study aims at contributing to a more comprehensive knowledge of early childhood and the impact of natural imbalances in early mental development.

Palavras-chave : psychoanalysis; Margaret Mahler; mental development; crisis; individuation.

        · resumo em Português | Espanhol | Francês     · texto em Português     · Português ( pdf )