THE ROLE OF THE OTHER IN MOURNING

Mourning is a highly social process. This paper's thesis is that survi ving objects play a crucial role in the accomplishment of a number of the major psychological tasks of mourning. To illustrate the thesis, t he psychoanalytic treatment of a man suffering the aftermath of parent al loss in adolescence is presented. The failure of the social surroun d to assist with mourning is identified and explored, and the treatmen t implications of the role of the other in mourning are discussed.