Medica Jadertina, Vol. 43 No. 4, 2013.
Professional paper
The role of transitional phenomena in a child ability to remain alone
Abstract
The aim of the research was to determine the 'ability to remain alone' in children that have used transitional objects in the transitional phenomena development period, compared to those children that have not used them, through the evaluation of their behavioral and emotional display that appeared or grew during separation caused by hospitalization.
An examination group of 30 children from 7-8 years of age were taken into consideration. They had been hospitalized due to bodily illness and 'remained alone', without parents or attendants. The control group was made up of about thirty healthy children that had not been separated from their parents and were attending the second grade of elementary school. Testing was done at Zadar General Hospital Department of Paediatrics and at Zadar elementary school.
The results showed that a very small number of children used transitional objects at early development (examined and control group). There was no increase in temporary emotional and behavioural problems that accompanies separation due to hospitalization.
A significant increase in bodily problems with hospitalized children and increasingly present attention disorders in the control group were probably more a reflection of the situation in which the child found itself than objective indicators of the condition. There were also somewhat more externalized problems (not significant) in the control group in relation to the examined group, also more of a reflection of the situationthan the real mental state of the child. Only the exceptional appearance of regressive symptoms as a reaction
to separation in general can be a warning sign of greater defence function and not only a sign of the child's good adjustment to self-separation. It is necessary to conduct further researches on the use and significance of transitional objects at mental level.
Keywords
transitional object; ability to remain alone
Hrčak ID:
113421
URI
Publication date:
13.1.2014.
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