Childhood fears and the COVID-19 pandemic: a psychoanalysis perspective

Authors

  • Renata Bellini Begosso Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto - Universidade de São Paulo
  • Geovana Figueira Gomes Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto - Universidade de São Paulo
  • Fernanda Kimie Tavares Mishima Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto - Universidade de São Paulo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32467/issn.1982-1492v20n2a5

Keywords:

psychoanalysis; fear; child; childhood; family.

Abstract

Since birth, fear is a common affection of human improvement and how children feel and express it reflects their emotional development. This clinical-qualitative research investigated the fears of six children between five and seven years old in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Both online, mothers were interviewed and were applied to children the Drawing-and-Story Procedure (D-E). Data were analyzed by free inspection of the material, according to winnicottian psychoanalysis. The manifestation of fear was varied: fear of something concrete and current related to a well-preserved ego; abstract fears were reported in less autonomy children. In all cases, the greater the family’s emotional support, the less complaints and difficulties. The maternal figure stood out as the main caregiver, facilitating autonomy or maintaining child dependence. Child fear was related to experience of internal conflicts and expression of previous needs and the pandemic was an aggravating factor of these emotional losses.

Keywords: 

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Author Biography

Renata Bellini Begosso, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto - Universidade de São Paulo

 

 

 

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Published

2025-12-12

How to Cite

Begosso, R. B., Gomes, G. F., & Mishima, F. K. T. (2025). Childhood fears and the COVID-19 pandemic: a psychoanalysis perspective. Vínculo - Revista Do NESME, 2(20). https://doi.org/10.32467/issn.1982-1492v20n2a5

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 20 (2023): Vínculo - Revista do NESME

Section

Pesquisa

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This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.