Risperidon treatment for mourning in a five-and-a-half-year-old child: case report

It is intended to present here, a five-and-a-half-year-old child with the symptoms of self-mutilation behavior and thought after the death of aunt. Reviewing the knowledge in literature and comparing it with the case is the method being followed. A five-and-a-half-year-old child brought to our clinic first time in February 2014 by his parents. A year ago, after the death of aunt who has taken on the role of parents, difficulty falling and maintaining asleep, decrease appetite and loss in weight, constipation, recurrent aunt images and death subjects in his talking and games, intensive guilt, depressive mood and passive suicide thought occurred. His mother indicated that he attempted suicide two weeks ago, saying he wants to die because he misses his aunt and wants to go to her side. During psychiatric interview, following points are noticed: intensive guilt, depressive mood, statements about his aunt being in heaven and how much he misses her. 0,5 mg/d dose risperidone treatment begin for the patient due to his impulsive behavior. Children’s perception of death is related to their cognitive and emotional development. According to psychoanalytic theory, little children’s capability of understanding and accepting death is limited to their cognitive and emotional maturity. On the other hand according to cognitive theory, irreversibility, finality, inevitability, universality, causality, personal deadness and un predictability are basic properties of death. How death is explained to child, religious and cultural values of parents are important for children’s understanding of death. If death is not explained clearly, the children behave as they observe from the family. The possibility of depression and guilt is higher for children in families, which death is not spoken or explained. The symptoms of our case are considered as they occurred during the concrete operational period. Because of risky behavior of the child, risperidone treatment planned. Nowadays, risperidone treatment is used for psychiatric disorders and conduct disorders in children and adolescents. Our case will be discussed comparing with mourning cases in literature.