Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis in Times of Crisis: War, Pandemic and Climate Change

Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis in Times of Crisis: War, Pandemic and the Climate Crisis gathers a global cohort of psychoanalytic thinkers to consider the most pressing issues currently faced by young people worldwide. Each chapter provides a theoretical exploration of our psychically and socially damaging collective reality and offers practical support to psychoanalysts working to create safe spaces in a world that feels fundamentally unlivable for many young people. Case studies span the Ukraine and Palestine/Israel conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis and forced displacement as a result of climate catastrophe. Contributors explore the active impact of these devastating events, including the pervasive hopelessness suffered by young people deprived of agency and a viable future, through first-hand accounts of working with children and adolescents in conflict zones. Drawing on the work of Bion, Winnicott, Judith Butler and others, these essays offer hope by showing the important role that psychoanalytic work can play in restoring the capacity for psychic development, resilience and meaning making. Part of the Routledge Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis series, this book is an essential read for all psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, caregivers, teachers, social workers and academics.