Psychoanalysts alert to a surge in domestic and street violence connected to lockdown

September 2020

Members of the International Psychoanalytical Association – the world’s primary accrediting and regulatory body for the psychoanalytic profession – have predicted a global increase in domestic and street violence as a result of and following lockdown.

The warning comes from the Association’s Violence Committee, which was established in 2018 to study the connections violence and mental health.

Lockdown measures have led to an overall reduction in the availability of psychological treatments. This is especially relevant for a group of people who, without regular psychological support, become more vulnerable to acting out violent impulses. The paradox of being forced into permanent closeness to some while having to maintain social distance from other important people during lockdown means that any pre-disposing distress has no outlet and remains hidden. The consequence is that those vulnerable people are prone to further deterioration in their symptoms, which can include violent acting out. The lockdown measures have thus produced a rise in domestic violence. But easing of lockdown is not only followed by an improvement. Apart from a huge backlog in psychological treatments, the gained ‘freedom’ also provides space for acting out distress outside of the confinements of homes, leading therefore also to a rise in street violence.

The alleviation of distressing feelings by maladaptively resorting to physical violence can be witnessed in all strata of society. However, the lack of psychological support for people prone to this way of handling their distress enhances the risk of them resorting to acting out violently. The present crisis is a forceful reminder that ongoing psychological support for those individuals before they become perpetrators is the best way to prevent violence, thereby also protecting those people who might otherwise have to suffer by becoming victims of violence.

“Our committee is urging politicians and policy makers to support public health and social services in equipping themselves for the necessary psychological support and interventions before the suffering gets to the stage of violence”, concludes Dr Carine Minne, the chair of the Violence Committee.

IPA Violence Committee