A organização psíquica das crianças amazônidas: análise dos fenômenos transicionais na pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract

Emotional development is a decisive factor for health, through the balance between the intrapsychic forces provided by the internalization of primary care and the external environment that offers care and security. As a result of the pandemic, the external environment has become threatening and unpredictable, in addition to restricting social relations. With children, despite the low risk of contagion of the virus, the emotional impact becomes relevant in the face of school and family withdrawal. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to analyze the psychic organization of school-aged Amazonian children during the emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, through the use of projective methods. The study design was clinical-qualitative, as proposed by Turato (2018) and multiple case in a single group, proposed by Hussain (1990) through projective methods organized in a research protocol. A total of three face-to-face meetings were held with parents and/or guardians and with the participating child. The survey was published on social networks to screen interested parties. Six children aged between 07 and 10 who are attending elementary school participated in the study. For analysis, the dissertation was organized into two studies: the first with application of the Drawing-Story Procedure with Theme; the second with the application of the Children's Thematic Apperception Test with animal figures (CAT-A). The use of these projective methods made it possible to investigate the dynamics of the child's personality, their understanding of the pandemic, the way they deal with conflicts and fantasies, and the quality of the affective relationships formed. The study showed that children were considerably impacted during this period, and most participants had difficulties in symbolizing the negative feelings caused during this period, such as fear, loneliness and isolation. In addition, the family was unable to offer holding to the child, crossed by its own suffering in view of the imminence of contamination and the social problems entailed. It is believed that this study can contribute to future research on child development in the face of traumatic adversities, for interventions and prevention promoted to children, their families and the school, in addition to the important advance of projective psychology in the North region.