First published 2024
College campuses face unprecedented numbers of students seeking mental health support. Robert Samuels argues that psychoanalytic theory holds the key to addressing this crisis. He traces the problem back to the decline of psychoanalytic practice in modern treatment approaches. Drawing on foundational concepts from Freud and Lacan, particularly their understanding of hysteria and narcissism, Samuels contends that current diagnostic methods miss crucial psychological structures. He proposes that when students focus intensively on their internal emotional states, they often develop neurotic patterns and self-destructive behaviors. The suppression of psychoanalytic frameworks has led to widespread misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment of student mental health issues. Samuels offers psychoanalytic theory as a corrective approach that addresses root causes rather than surface symptoms. The book serves practicing psychoanalysts, mental health professionals treating young adults, and higher education administrators grappling with campus mental health challenges.
Genres: psychology, mental-health, education, psychoanalysis, academia, academic
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic, mental-health
Setting: College Campuses
Period: Modern
156 pages · Paperback · Routledge
Content warnings: mental-illness