The role of psychodynamically informed therapists in complex socio-political realities

In this issue of our newsletter, we focused on the role of psychodynamically informed therapists in current sociopolitical conflicts. That is why we have chosen to review Otto Kernberg’s paper: Malignant Narcissism and Large Group Regression.” Psychoanalytic Quarterly 89(1):1-24, 2020.

This article gains in appropriateness by the minutes, as we see conflicts, natural catastrophes and new regimes come to exist all over the world. In the first section of the manuscript, Dr. Kernberg reviews the major contributions of Freud, Bion, Turquet and Volkan on group psychology, highlighting how, at all different levels of grouping, from individual to large groups, when regression develops and the normal social structure that assures the individual of his status in the society disappears, a search for a “second skin”, a second identity that returns individual security begins. In reviewing these masterful contributions.

Social instability and the defensive behaviours of large groups

Otto depicts how, during threats, groups adopt defensive behaviors similar to the paranoid-schizoid position described by Melanie Klein, splitting, denial, omnipotent control, projective identification. In the headline section of this newsletter, Oleksii references his attention and awareness to these feelings and phenomena as his own population goes through massive destruction during the war (Read the article).

In such conditions of crisis, the search for a leader to provide the large group with a new senses of identification to a new society, becomes critical. Under condition of weakening of traditional social structures, the emergence of extremist political groups and parties with narcissistic and paranoid traits tends to become more likely, given their natural propensity to satisfy the “anxiety” of the mass, left without a strong sense of identity.

Malignant narcissism leadership: a desperate defence of identity

Leadership characterized by malignant narcissism (defined by Dr. Kernberg in 1984 and 2018 as a pathological grandiose self characterized by a sense of superiority, envy, devaluation, chronic emptiness, significant paranoid features, strong, ego-syntonic aggression and antisocial behavior), becomes particularly adept at fulfilling the large group needs for a “second skin” by providing an easy, strong identification with the leader (which in turn, Dr. Kernberg says, spares the need for the mass to envy the leader) and with an ideology that allows to identify the self against the other, aggressively othering a victim minority of choice.

The emergence of this malignant narcissistic leadership through mutual identification with mass crises can lead to devastating consequences. Dr. Kernberg quotes three major examples that led to genocides: Hitler’s Germany attempting to recover from WW1, the economic crisis of Rwanda after decolonization, and the aftermath of the decomposition of the communist system in Yugoslavia. But independent social structures, such as the media, the financial elites, and the armed forces, may have an impact on the regressive processes and set limits to the antisocial behaviors adopted by the leader, for example by not allowing dishonesty.

Preventing large group regression

Given the psychological processes underlying political catastrophes, and given the need for an integrated personality and healthy narcissism to evaluate self and others properly, Dr. Kernberg concludes that psychodynamically-informed therapists can contribute in several ways to the evaluation of political leaders. That should not be done not by labeling leaders with diagnostic names, but by pointing out their nature and the nature of the consequences of their actions and behaviors within complex social realities as divisive, or paranoia-inducing. Inspired by the contribution of historian Snyder (2017 “On Tyranny: twenty lessons from the twentieth century”), Dr. Kernberg writes.

We must remember professional ethics, believe in truth, investigate and listen for dangerous words. [Snyder] explains the importance of establishing a private life, contributing to good causes, learning from peers of other countries. He outlines a profile of individual courage, responsibility independence of thinking and public action. I think these are eminently reasonable and, in fact, essential qualities that permit the individual to stand up to the dangerous imprisonment in regressive group formations and confront dishonest, corrupting and corrupted leadership.

Otto Kernberg, M.D.

Silvia Bernardi and Glauco Valdivieso