Psychological Help for Children Fleeing the Russian-Ukrainian War: an Intersubjectivity Perspective

Abstract

Post-traumatic development has been discussed in world psychology since the mid-1990s. We can speak of intertraumatic development because the war is not over yet, but many people experience positive changes in their lives during this time, between the separate, segmented traumas of the war. Psychological assistance for refugee children is a comprehensive system of dialogical counseling, professional interventions and targeted psychosocial support. It should be person-centered and integrated into a holistic humanitarian assistance project. Problems faced by refugees in Poland include mental development disorders, suicide attempts, interpersonal conflicts, gender-based violence, difficulties in adaptation, loss of home, family, pets, etc. Personal development during war is characterized by continuity. Although war is the ultimate factor of the existential level, threatening the very existence of man, it cannot stop the personal development of a person, much less a child. As psychologists, we must be aware of this and focus on the prospects of post-traumatic development.

Keywords

• development
• trauma
• psychological help
• intersubjectivity