Oneiric narratives shared in CAPSij teenager groups in dystopian times

Abstract

Social isolation - as a sanitary measure to contain the advances of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the mental health of adolescents due to being restricted to the domestic environment and the impossibility of socializing with their peers. The Psychosocial Care Centers for Children and Adolescents [CAPSij] prioritize care through collective strategies in groups. However, at the beginning of 2020, to adapt to the pandemic scenario and address the worsening of psychological suffering due to the unprecedented experience, a CAPSij team decided to offer online groups to attendees, and it was possible to observe the regularity in which oneiric narratives were shared by them. The objective of this article is to present the experience with groups of teenagers and the contribution of oneiric narratives to the group’s associative and elaborative process. To this end, we will show and analyze five group vignettes about the dream-sharing experience, which will be discussed under the psychoanalytical approach. The associative group chains brought into play the desires and anxieties of teenagers affected by the pandemic. Therefore, we highlight the relevance of using dreams as a therapeutic resource in group contexts marked by vulnerabilities.