Rene Spitz

Stroke represents an infant's need for touch. Rene Spitz (1987-1974) was an Austrian born, American Psychoanalyst. His area of specialisation was child development. He found that physical, maternal and emotional deprivation in infancy results in severe neurological and emotional damage. He called the condition anaclytic depression. There is also this famous story of Victor. He was a 'feral child' resembling a human. He was assessed to be twelve years old when he was captured in Aveyron forest in Southern France in 1797. Attempts to socialise with him failed several times. French scientists, physicians and psychiatrists concluded that he had been deprived of human physical touch all his life. It resulted in his retarded psychological, emotional and social development.

Key words for this section

Rene Spitz, 

Stroke Deprivation, 

Marasmus, 

Anaclitic Depression, 

Hospitalism