Nobody's child: Managing mental trauma of children with mental health issues

The world has not yet seen the end of COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2. However, as the spate of infection, hospitalization, and death abates, we are limping back to what we used to know as being normal. A new world is emerging, and more of this newness is yet waiting to be discovered. Children are developing differently, parents are unable to provide the necessary psychological and social support, there is hardly any peer interaction yet, and adults in their lives are too preoccupied with their own distresses to give the kind of support a growing child needs. In many situations, children are being allowed to almost fend for themselves in social and familial areas and in the area of cognitive development and these will surely show their true colors in the years to come. On a positive note, the nearly-post-COVID-19 world has witnessed children displaying an array of coping mechanisms leading to post-traumatic growth (PTG). It is heartening to note that the human psyche has the ability to overcome distress and disaster and forge ahead in a positive manner. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Changing the narrative: Exploring how music therapy can assist adolescents dealing with race-based traumatic stress

The impact of racism on teens of color can be life-altering. Young people of color are still susceptible to the effects of racial discrimination so long as racism exists. Today's boundless access to social media has created a platform for exposing racist acts. Racism today presents itself in such forms as microaggressions, racial biases, and systemic oppression by means of policing, healthcare, housing, and education. This chapter explores those options through the framework of race-related trauma. Throughout adolescence, the formation of identity can predict either a successful sense of identity or a fall into a role of confusion. The healthy development of racial identity for an adolescent of color is essential and is not separate from identity formation. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the extent of racism in healthcare, economic, and living disparities. Advancements in digital technology present opportunities for autonomy in the music creation process for adolescents. This makes therapeutic songwriting a powerful intervention, as it addresses these ideals. Music therapy provides the opportunity to practice an uncommon form of cultural humility and rapport. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Trauma, flight and migration: Psychoanalytic perspectives

This book brings together leading international psychoanalysts to discuss what psychoanalysis can offer to people who have experienced trauma, flight, and migration. The four parts of the book cover several elements of this work, including psychoanalytic projects beyond the couch, and collaboration with the UN. Each chapter presents an example of the applications of psychoanalysis with a specific group or in a particular context, from working with refugees in China to understanding the experiences of women who have witnessed political violence in Peru. Trauma, flight, and migration have become signatures of our time. Towards the end of 2021 there were 82.4 million migrants and refugees seeking asylum from their countries of origin in countries far away from war, civil unrest, and economic turmoil. Migrants and refugees often suffer from mental health problems, having experienced crises caused by dislocation from their homes, with a loss of all that is familiar. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world in a previously unimaginable way within a very short time. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased social injustice: the gap between the privileged and the underprivileged, the rich and the poor, has widened. Many of the psychoanalysts who have written chapters for this book will address the profound experience of limitation and loss in the face of pervasive structural violence in the 21st century. The book reveals the thinking and work of a small group of the many psychoanalysts who are currently working in the humanitarian field. The innovative book will be essential reading for psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists looking to learn more about working with people who have experienced the impact of traumatic movement or migration. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Assessing and intervening with children who have been traumatized

Nearly a billion children have had their lives disrupted by the 2019-2021 SARS CoV 2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2;COVID-19) global pandemic, with some estimates suggesting that the economic devastation may result in nearly 725 million children living in poverty in the absence of any mitigating policies (UNICEF, 2020). Given the likelihood of trauma exposure and the almost certainty of being impacted by the global pandemic, it is vital for educators, parents, and public health officials to have a better understanding of the neuropsychological factors underscoring both trauma and resilience in order to better meet the needs of our students. After all, not all children exposed to trauma and adversity experience detrimental outcomes, and many children are capable of devising internal coping and resilience strategies to grow from these experiences. This chapter discusses the various types of trauma that children typically encounter, how trauma impacts key regions in the brain responsible for learning and social-skills development, offer assessment strategies, and suggest targeted intervention strategies for schools and parents in light of some of the unprecedented circumstances our children must face. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Rewilding from within: The significance of the beaver in a child's sandplay therapy

This article explores the symbol of the beaver and its loss and eventual return to the UK wetlands. The author considers the possible root of the absence of this creature from the cultural life and memory of the British people linking this to the shadow aspects of the beaver's engineering prowess. Connections are made to the psychotherapeutic work of a nine-year-old-girl with deep early wounding. The beaver, as symbol, appeared to represent a wounded aspect of herself that suffered such an overwhelming hunger for nourishment that it had to be excluded and rejected. Some of her symptoms included a need to control life through ritualistic behaviors. Through her work in the sand the young girl was able to integrate her deep needs and access resources that helped her to restabilize and prepare for the developmental challenges ahead. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Healing addiction with EMDR therapy: A trauma-focused guide

Unhealed trauma causes distress in the body. When the nature of the distress overrides a person's existing system for coping, or the trauma is not processed, survivors may numb themselves or seek a more pleasurable experience to escape. Such behavior is a completely natural response to unprocessed trauma. This tendency we have as human beings to dissociate, or sever from the present moment when the moment becomes unpleasant or painful, is amplified for survivors when chemicals or other reinforcing behaviors are introduced. Such chemicals and behaviors can accelerate the potency of dissociation. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a complete system of psychotherapy that can facilitate this process. This innovative book offers an investigation into therapies which can assist therapists to assess trauma and how it impacts the mind-body. It provides a clear guide to therapists in changing the way healing addiction is imagined. The book continues to challenge the existing paradigms for treating addiction and related issues. Despite the longstanding existence of professional treatment in North America, recidivism is high. People are still dying at alarming rates, not just from the opioid crisis that dominates news headlines, but also from the impact of alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, and other maladaptive behaviors. Moreover, the social isolation and collective trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic added fuel to an already raging fire, revealing massive cracks in a system for care that is barely functional. In assessment, no single drug, substance, or behavior is the culprit the real issue is the untreated trauma that lurks underneath, causing people to seek out the relief of these substances in the first place. EMDR therapy is a complete psychotherapy that facilitates the shifts that are required in an individual to achieve meaningful lifestyle change. Recovery, healing, and wellness require lifestyle change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Life as prey: Effects of sexual trauma on experiences of embodiment

Sexual trauma is a prevalent phenomenon and social ail the world over. While sexual assault and sexual trauma have been a topic of study for decades, the topic is gaining a new audience as public outcry and personal stories are being spoken about socially more than ever, with the popularity of movements such as #MeToo rising. The present research endeavored to collect firsthand stories of sexual trauma in order to better understand women's experiences of embodiment following sexually traumatic events. Further, this study inspected what we can learn from firsthand accounts and how to solve this pervasive problem, utilizing a qualitative research design. Five women, ranging in ages 18-24 were interviewed on their relationship with their body, their relationships, their embodied way of being in the world, sexual trauma, and the aftermath. Four women then returned for a second semi-structured interview on social understandings of womanhood, sexual trauma, and social movements, as well as for feedback on data from their first interview. The transcripts from the first round of interviews were analyzed individually utilizing the Listening Guide. The first interviews and second interviews were then analyzed collectively utilizing Interpretive Interactionism. The present study was limited by a less diverse group of women than originally planned, a singular geographic region of data collection, as well as unforeseen effects of COVID-19. This study captured personal experiences of sexual trauma with suggestions from survivors as to what needs to be changed in order to prevent sexual trauma and to help those who have experienced it. The understanding built from this study also includes implications for future education, intervention, and therapeutic efforts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Moving Beyond the Enormity Problem: Tackling the Global Refugee Crisis

The article discusses the mental health issues linked to the global refugee crisis. Also cited are the scientific and cultural advances that led to reduced cost of care for common illnesses like anxiety, depression and stigma due to mental health disorders, and other topics like ecocide, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing Moral Injury in Emergency Medicine.

BACKGROUND: Moral injury, which is described as the psychological distress that results from actions, or lack of them, that go against one's beliefs or values, has become front and center among issues facing the practice of emergency medicine. Although it predates the COVID-19 outbreak, the pandemic has played a significant role in the increased rate of burnout, and even suicide, among emergency physicians. CASE REPORTS: This paper includes several clinical vignettes to highlight incidents that may occur in the emergency department (ED) when physicians experience violations of their moral codes, leading to distress and moral injury. These scenarios explore the conflicts posed between competing bioethical principles such as beneficence, nonmaleficence, end-of-life decision-making, medical futility, respect for self-determination (autonomy), resource scarcity and triage, duty to care, and physician impairment. DISCUSSION: There are significant similarities between moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with some authors describing moral injury as a subset of PTSD. We explore these commonalities to provide coping mechanisms and mitigation strategies for those suffering from moral injury. CONCLUSION: Physicians experiencing moral injury may benefit from the many available evidence-based treatments for PTSD to identify and manage moral injury and to support patient care and personal well-being.

Long-term Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Public Sentiments in Mainland China: Sentiment Analysis of Social Media Posts.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak has induced negative emotions among people. These emotions are expressed by the public on social media and are rapidly spread across the internet, which could cause high levels of panic among the public. Understanding the changes in public sentiment on social media during the pandemic can provide valuable information for developing appropriate policies to reduce the negative impact of the pandemic on the public. Previous studies have consistently shown that the COVID-19 outbreak has had a devastating negative impact on public sentiment. However, it remains unclear whether there has been a variation in the public sentiment during the recovery phase of the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China by continuously tracking public sentiment on social media throughout 2020. METHODS: We collected 64,723,242 posts from Sina Weibo, China's largest social media platform, and conducted a sentiment analysis based on natural language processing to analyze the emotions reflected in these posts. RESULTS: We found that the COVID-19 pandemic not only affected public sentiment on social media during the initial outbreak but also induced long-term negative effects even in the recovery period. These long-term negative effects were no longer correlated with the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases both locally and nationwide during the recovery period, and they were not attributed to the postpandemic economic recession. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic induced long-term negative effects on public sentiment in mainland China even as the country recovered from the pandemic. Our study findings remind public health and government administrators of the need to pay attention to public mental health even once the pandemic has concluded.