The psychoanalytic treatment of psychosis

The authors provide a brief review of the role of psychoanalysis in current mental health practice, psychoanalytic perspectives on the aetiology of the psychoses and analytic approaches to nosology and diagnosis as a framework for a structural approach to the various manifestations of psychosis. The paper then moves on to the discussion of appropriate techniques for the treatment of psychoses which depart from the exploratory treatment used in neurotic patients. The final section of the paper examines the results of recent outcome studies of psychoanalysis and addresses some of the consequences for service planning and delivery.