Psychotherapeutic Management of Suicide Attempts in Children and Early Adolescents: Working with Parents

• Published in: Psychotherapy and psychosomatics 1989-01, Vol.52 (1/3), p.125-132
• Main Author: Vaz-Leal, Francisco J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Attitude to Death; Child; Family Therapy - methods; Female; Humans; Male; Psychoanalytic Therapy - methods; Psychotherapy - methods; Research Paper; Research Papers; Suicide - prevention & control; Suicide, Attempted - psychology
• ISSN: 0033-3190; 1423-0348
• DOI: 10.1159/000288312

Metatherapy (a psychotherapeutic procedure based upon parental couple collaboration) is a technique useful for working with severely disorganized family contexts, in which psychopathological diseases (such as psychotic or psychosomatic disorders, suicide attempts of the children etc.) can appear. The management of the family has two definite phases: (a) case evaluation, with the participation of the whole family group and (b) case treatment, with exclusive participation and active collaboration of the parental couple. The usefulness of this therapeutic tool proceeds from the restructuration and boundary delimitation that it provides, stressing the recuperation of parental executive capacity. Thus, metatherapy can be used in the treatment of suicide attempts and severe depression of children and early adolescents, because the patients can see themselves free of the mark of illness, and the parents (usually suffering from a very strong anxiety and powerful feelings of guilt) can be confirmed in their role and be pleased to give their collaboration for the treatment of their family. These interactional changes improve the clinical outcome of these cases.