Melanie Klein and Anna Freud: A comparison of their transference and child treatment theories

Melanie Klein and Anna Freud were pioneers in the field of child psychoanalysis. Although they were active at the same time, treated children, and developed theories that were initially based on Sigmund Freud's drive theory, they disagreed about some fundamental aspects of psychoanalytic child treatment. This study, which is a comprehensive review and analysis of the literature, traces the roots of their disagreements and examines how Melanie Klein and Anna Freud applied their transference theories to two aspects of child treatment: children's suitability for treatment and transference interpretation. The study found that their divergent theories of human development formed a foundation for both their theories of transference and child treatment. On the one hand, Melanie Klein emphasized the importance of early object relations, unconscious phantasy, and primitive anxiety. Her theory of innate object relations and early ego development supports her position that all children develop transferences to their analysts and are, therefore, suitable for treatment. Additionally, Klein believed that child analysts should interpret all transference material and direct their interpretations to the patient's deepest unconscious anxiety. She theorized that aiming the transference interpretation at the most primitive layers would lessen anxiety, improve object relations, and strengthen the ego. Anna Freud, on the other hand, focused on the role of the ego and defense analysis, and did not believe that all children were immediately suitable for psychoanalytic treatment. She posited that children are born with weak and undeveloped egos, do not develop an immediate transference to their analysts, and may never develop a complete transference neurosis, primarily because of their ongoing attachment to their parents. Furthermore, she believed that children were unable to free associate and that child's play could not substitute for free association. To overcome these obstacles, Anna Freud treated children with a modified version of psychoanalysis, always emphasizing the importance of actively developing and maintaining a positive therapeutic alliance. Anna Freud proposed that analysts first aim their interpretations at the ego and then at the more unconscious layers of the psyche, as the child's ego strength increases during treatment.