Pediatric patients with repeated injuries. Psychopathological hypotheses.

Authors
Dejardin, D Dardenne, P
Citation
D. Dejardin et P. Dardenne, Pediatric patients with repeated injuries. Psychopathological hypotheses., ANN PEDIAT, 46(5), 1999, pp. 362-367
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Pediatrics
Journal title
ANNALES DE PEDIATRIE
ISSN journal
00662097 → ACNP
Volume
46
Issue
5
Year of publication
1999
Pages
362 - 367
Database
ISI
SICI code
0066-2097(199905)46:5<362:PPWRIP>2.0.ZU;2-E
Abstract
Pediatric departments, most notably pediatric emergency rooms, readily iden tify a subgroup of patients with repetitive injuries. Concepts that can be used to approach this issue are discussed in this article. Based on experie nce acquired in child psychiatry, a psychopathological hypothesis involving the concept of self-preservation is put forward. Every child gradually dev elops a <<body self-preservation function>> that emerges as a result of bot h early interactions between the child and the environment and identificati ons, then is built up by educational models on the representations of dange r and on how to deal with aggressiveness. Although the degree of self-prese rvation varies, environmental and internal factors constantly interact with each other. Some of the characteristics of self-preservation deserve to be investigated and clarified since they may contribute to make some patients injury-prone.