Psychoanalysis and Psychological Trauma in Wartime Contexts
Summary
Psychoanalytic enquiry into wartime trauma has evolved from early case studies of shell shock and combat neurosis to contemporary interdisciplinary frameworks that integrate psychodynamic insight with neurobiological and sociocultural perspectives. Initially rooted in Freudian theories of anxiety and defence mechanisms, this field charted the psychic impact of active combat and civilian exposure to violence, highlighting fragmentation of the self, intrusion of traumatic memories and displacement of aggression. Over successive conflicts—from the trenches of the First World War to modern asymmetric warfare—therapeutic approaches have broadened to include group analysis, play- and art-based modalities for children, and community-level interventions for displaced populations. Recent decades have seen a shift towards understanding collective and intergenerational transmission of trauma, with psychoanalytic concepts of identification and mourning enriched by findings on stress-related neurohormonal changes. This synthesis of clinical practice, historical inquiry and empirical research underscores the global significance of psychoanalytic contributions to healing and resilience in war-affected individuals and societies.
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Psychoanalysis and Psychological Trauma in Wartime Contexts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in psychoanalysis and psychological trauma in wartime contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Psychoanalysis: A clinical method and theoretical framework focused on unconscious processes, defence mechanisms and early developmental influences on mental life.
Psychological trauma: The emotional and cognitive injury resulting from exposure to events that overwhelm an individual’s capacity to cope, often manifesting in intrusive memories and affect dysregulation.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A psychopathological syndrome characterised by persistent re-experiencing, avoidance behaviors, negative alterations in cognition and heightened arousal following traumatic events.
Collective trauma: A communal experience of distress in the aftermath of mass violence or disaster, where group identity and shared memory play crucial roles in pathology and recovery.
Transgenerational transmission: The passing of trauma-related vulnerabilities and defense patterns from one generation to the next through familial interactions, narratives and attachment dynamics.
References
- From talking cure to play- and group-therapy: outpatient mental health care for children in the Netherlands c. 1945–70. History of Psychiatry (2021).
- Karl Weissmann e a psicanálise na Era Vargas. Memorandum Memória e História em Psicologia (2019).
- Psicoanálisis y transición democrática en España. História Ciências Saúde-Manguinhos (2017).
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