INTRODUCTION: Psychological support for children and adolescents is a priority today, given the challenges of our time, such as cruelty, high levels of poverty and socioeconomic inequality, increased problematic substance use, and internet and social media addiction, among others. Thus, psychology faces the challenge of addressing the complexity of the social realities affecting the population under study. Therefore, exploring the needs for psychological care in vulnerable contexts allows us to reflect on the theoretical frameworks and tools used, and to propose new lines of research.
OBJECTIVES:
This paper aims to analyze current demands in the psychological care of children and adolescents, with the objective of questioning the theory and proposing new psychological assessment and psychotherapeutic interventions. It provides data related to three axes: Good health and well-being, Gender equality, and Peace, justice and strong institutions.
METHODOLOGY:
The quantitative and qualitative methodology is articulated in an exploratory study, based on the study of the demand received in the last 5 years in the Psychological Care Services for children and adolescents of the Faculty of Psychology of the National University of Tucumán, Argentina.
RESULTS
The analysis of the data results in the emergence and predominance of a new symptomatology in the clinic of childhood and adolescence in Argentina, linked to the increase in levels of anxiety and depression, impulses, pathologies of the act, rather than problems linked to symbolization and subjective conflicts. Likewise, there is an increase in consultations due to problems in language development and learning when compared to the previous group to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
CONCLUSIONS:
Thinking about the reasons for consultation in the child and youth clinic today makes it possible to analyze the impact of social, political, cultural and economic variables on the mental health of children and adolescents. It also allows us to challenge our devices theoretical frameworks that support our practices.