RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS OF LATER NEUR OTIC DEVELOPMENT

The author gives an overview of selected research results concerning d eprivation and protection. Comprehensive retrospective and prospective studies show one uniform result: The presence of at least one trusted person in the (early) childhood considerably lowers the probability o f later mentally (co-)determined disturbances. On the other hand the a bsence of such persons increases the probability of later illness. Onl y a minority of adults (10-30%) succeeds in mastering a difficult chil dhood in a (relatively) unproblematic manner. The possible reasons for this are presented. Contrary to some divergent findings it can. meanw hile be assumed that infant day care due to maternal employment during the first year of the child's life is usually not a risk factor with respect to insecure attachment or later psychopathology. Finally, the relationship between psychoanalysis and deprivation-protection researc h and the respective methodological particularities are outlined.