Psychodiagnostic assessment of a pathological organization: a case report of transgenerational symptomatic transmission

Abstract

Experiences of anxiety and depression can emerge within family systems as if inherited across generations, following complex and hidden paths. Family bonds are like invisible threads that can, at times, become sacrificial chains, in which individuals may feel trapped in emotional burdens, obligations, merits, debts and credits, all governed by unwritten rules, aimed at maintaining a state of homeostasis (Boszormenyi-Nagy & Spark, 1973; Jackson, D.D., 1957).

This network of relationships can offer support, but it may also constrain individual freedom, becoming an emotional prison during critical phases in the family life cycle.

Sudden and non-normative events—such as the death of a family member, separation, serious illness, or relocation—can destabilize the family equilibrium, triggering intense stress and challenging the system’s ability to adapt.

According to authors such as Bowen (1980), it is in these circumstances that one or more members may be confronted with unresolved experiences, hidden grief, and frozen emotions—pain that was never expressed or acknowledged by the system.

This article presents the clinical case of Flora, a 40-year-old woman who turned to the Ecopsys Clinical Center in Naples in February 2025, reporting pervasive anxiety and sadness and marital difficulties with her husband, Michele.

Through clinical interviews and diagnostic tools, it was possible to identify the transgenerational transmission of somatic and psychopathological states, as well as mental attitudes aimed at preserving an idealized perception of the parental gaze.