A PRIMARY HYPOCHONDRIACAL PARENTAL PREOCCUPATION

The authors-researchers and practitioners in the field of perinatal and early childhood care-offer a review of various psychopathological, clinical, and psychoanalytic conceptualizations of hypochondria. They highlight the ordinary nature of hypochondria, in particular when the (future) father and mother meet their embryo, fetus, and then baby. This leads them to propose the notion of a primary hypochondriacal parental preoccupation, and they use three clinical vignettes stemming from psychologists' work in nurseries to illustrate their hypothesis. They also highlight how the members of a professional group, in this case those working in a nursery, can offer effective support and treatment for parents experiencing these hypochondriacal preoccupations.