The neurobiology behind iatrogenic trauma in the child-juvenile population in psychiatric hospitalization contexts

Abstract

This article analyzes the neuropsychological consequences of iatrogenic trauma in the child-adolescent population in the context of psychiatric hospitalizations. Based on the theoretical analysis from the neuroscience of trauma, the way in which certain medical practices such as physical containment and the use of psychotropic drugs, can reactivate traumatic body memory pathways and affect key phases in neurodevelopment is examined. Likewise, the traditional biomedical model is problematized, questioning whether these medical practices lead to optimal treatment, or if on the contrary, they generate a hostile and retraumatizing space for the patient.