Llantia, Camille
Parricidal fantasies and accession to masculinity: Considerations based on the case of a suicidal adolescent
- 2026.
16
This article examines the role of parricidal fantasies in adolescent boys and their potential role in suicidal behavior. Drawing on a clinical case from an ongoing research project on gender and adolescent suicide, we explore how these fantasies generate intense identificatory conflicts that often fail to be psychically elaborated. This is the case of an adolescent who engaged in several suicidal acts during dissociative episodes, while being intensely overwhelmed by parricidal fantasies. This failure of psychic elaboration may lead to a subjective impasse where unprocessed fantasies become overwhelming and contribute to self-destructive behavior. By combining clinical interviews with material from the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), we assess the impact of these dynamics on adolescent identity formation. The findings are discussed in light of previous research on parricidal acts and melancholic processes in adolescence. Particular attention is given to the therapeutic value of restitution interviews, which may open new avenues for clinical intervention with adolescents in the aftermath of a suicide attempt.