PAKT 6. PSYCHIATRIC DISORDEES OF CHILDHOOD 



CHILD PSYCHIATRY 

 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 



The Mohave differentiate betAveen presumably "organic" (i.e., gen- 

 etic or constitutional) defects, caused by certain inappropriate acts 

 of the parents, and "functional" psychiatric disorders affecting 

 children. 



The former category includes mental defect, conditions which may 

 be due to defects of the nervous system, "snake-headed monsters," and 

 speech defects, each of which is discussed separately in the following 

 pages. (See also pt. 5, pp. 248-253.) 



The latter category includes the relatively transitory "acting out" 

 period of budding shamans and nonshamanistic "problem children." 

 These disorders are discussed on pages 260-285. 



The susceptibility of children to traumata and their tendency to 

 become depressed is an axiom of Mohave psychiatry. Future sha- 

 mans seek to kill themselves while being born (pt. 7, pp. 331-339), in- 

 fants who have to be weaned because their mothers are pregnant again 

 make themselves sick (pt. 7, pp. 340-347), sucklings whose mothers 

 also nurse a young orphaned relative contract the hi:wa hiraruk 

 illness (pt. 3, p. 115), young twins may decide to return to heaven 

 (pt. 7, pp. 348-356), and so forth. Yet, interestingly enough, actual 

 child suicide cases are completely unknown, presumably because the 

 Mohave child is loved and feels fairly secure.®^ 



"organic" conditions 



According to the ISIohave, all congenital or constitutional defects of 

 children are due to certain actions of the parents, such as "incestuous" 

 marriage, fellatio performed by a pregnant woman, the killing of a 

 snake during pregnancy, etc. (Devereux, 1948 b). Despite the fact 

 that the condition of defective children is living proof of the mis- 

 conduct of the parents, the Mohave do not destroy such children; 

 instead, they make considerable efforts to keep them alive, even though, 

 e.g., the breast feeding of snakeheaded (heredosyphilitic?) monsters 



80 This good treatment Is not wholly due to the belief that Ill-treated children can make 

 themselves die. The Sedans Moi (Devereux, MS., 1933-34) have tlie same belief, which 

 does not prevent them from being quite harsh with their children. Hence, the suicide of 

 the young is sufBciently common among the Sedang to have led to the Inclusion into 

 Sedang law of the provision that an adult oppressor whose acts drive a helpless young 

 person to suicide can be fined. 



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