Federnov koncept psihotičnih poremećaja: aktuelnost u savremenom kliničko-psihološkom pristupu
Federn’s concept of psychotic disorders: actuality in the modern clinical-psychological approach

Summary/Abstract: Paul Federn (1871-1950), a second-generation Austrian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, was the founder of ego psychology, but also an original clinician and theorist in the field of understanding psychotic disorders. Although initially his work remained unnoticed in the psychoanalytic community due to the lack of interest of psychoanalysts in researching the psychosis, modern psychiatric thought again reveals his significance. The aim of this paper was to look at the basic concepts of Federn’s theory of psychotic ego disorders such as personality boundaries, narcissism, experience of physical and mental ego and cathexis, as well as contemporary readings of his postulates in the context of clinical work of psychologists with patients with some of psychotic disorders. At the practical level, the paper concretizes the clinical use of Federn’s psychoanalytic theory in understanding complex psychotic phenomena and symptoms, but also offers important guidelines in terms of sensitizing and improving the use of psychological techniques in working with psychotic patients such as conducting psychodiagnostic interviews and psychological support work. In conclusion, Federn’s exceptional clinical sensibility is a pioneering work when it comes to psychotherapy and improvement, not only of hospital treatment of patients, but also of their mental health and basic human rights, an approach that at the time of his work was a subversive and visionary act, but it could have a more intensive application in contemporary times.

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