Splits in the fabric: A community psychoanalytic project during COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Psychoanalysis
• Community Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic created a traumatic context for mental health agency staff, leading to fragmentation due to remote work and deployments.
• Structural vulnerabilities, racial inequities, and anti-Asian racism were exacerbated by the pandemic, impacting community mental health services.
• Agency staff experienced resentments and divisions, necessitating targeted interventions to restore cohesion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the utility of psychoanalysts in non-traditional community settings.
• To describe consultation and group interventions aimed at healing agency fragmentation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To explore the intersection of individual psychological dynamics with broader social and historical contexts, including systemic racism.

Main Methods:

• Psychoanalysts collaborated with agency leadership to design and implement a weekly video conferencing process group over six months.
• Interventions focused on addressing emergent themes, resentments, and divisions within the agency.
• The study involved case description, process observation, and the formulation of recommendations for ongoing support.

Main Results:

• The process group facilitated the healing of resentments and divisions among agency staff.
• Key themes emerged related to the pandemic's impact, systemic inequities, and anti-Asian racism.
• Recommendations included the establishment of a permanent clinical consultation group.

Conclusions:

• Community psychoanalysis can be effectively applied in community mental health settings to address collective trauma and organizational stress.
• Interventions must consider the broader socio-historical context, including racial dynamics and public health system strains.
• Addressing the "Social Unconscious" is crucial for understanding and healing divisions within organizations serving marginalized communities.