Low frustration tolerance in childhood: A clinical case with a migrant in Panama

Caso clínico con migrante en Panamá

Abstract

Low frustration tolerance (BTF) is a response that implies a maladjustment on the part of someone who has not learned to postpone reinforcement. It is a condition that disadvantages those who develop it. When it occurs in migrant children, a dysfunctional relationship is created both with the family and in the educational center. The discomfort of not obtaining immediate satisfaction of one's supposed needs produces immature and maladaptive responses. Objective: To present the effectiveness of the cognitive restructuring technique for the intervention of low frustration tolerance, as an instrumental alternative in psychological clinic. The Clinical Case Study Methodology was used. The case studied has a family structure characterized by a mother with a weakened role, a younger sister, the identified patient, and a father who is absent most of the time. With cognitive conceptualization, automatic thoughts were obtained that generated “terrible, catastrophic, defeatist” meanings and negative emotions with dysfunctional behaviors. In the initial Global Activity Evaluation Scale of 55 points with moderate symptoms, up to EEAG of 80 points (in follow-up). Through cognitive restructuring, an increase in the ability to self-regulate their responses of better tolerance to frustration was achieved, which is expressed in behaviors that favored learning by completing school tasks, planning them and completing them.