Abstract

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Title:: A New Interpretation of Sullivan’ Theory of InterpersonalPsychoanalysis

Keywords:: interpersonal psychoanalysis; interpersonal relationship; personality; psychosis; psychologicaltreatment

Abstract:: Sullivan was a famous American psychiatrist and the founder of interpersonal psychoanalysis.He was opposed to Freud’s view which emphasized the individual’s internal psychological mechanism. Asfar as Freud is concerned，the mind is determined by instinct drives. In contrast，Sullivan advocated a viewof interpersonal relationship or interaction that man is decided by social factors. For Sullivan，the natureof man is sociality，and this nature appears as interpersonal relationship. Sullivan made a new explanationof the meaning，dynamic process，structure，cognitive level and different stages of personality from theperspective of interpersonal relationship. In Sullivan’s point of view，mental disease is mainly caused byone’s bad interpersonal relationship. He considered the psychiatric hospital as a school for the developmentof personality，the psychiatrist as expert in interpersonal relationship，and the psychological treatment aseducation. Sullivan initiated a new research with social-cultural orientation in psychoanalysis and psychiatry，which in turn had a great influence on these two fields. Besides，he also had a certain influence on the earlyspread of psychoanalysis in China through his Chinese student.