FOOD-RELATED SUFFERING: LISTENING TO SUBJECTIVITY AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DIMENSIONS IN THE PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL CONTEXT

Abstract

Eating disorders and manifestations of eating-related suffering are traditionally understood from the perspective of diagnostic classifications focused on the behavioral and physiological aspects of the symptom. In the pediatric hospital context, it is observed that the persistence of food refusal, somatic complaints, and low adherence to treatment can go beyond what is explained solely by biomedical logic. This article aims to discuss the contributions of psychoanalysis and hospital psychology to the understanding of these manifestations, highlighting the attention to subjectivity and the psychosocial dimensions involved in the symptom. It is a theoretical-conceptual discussion, based on literature, linked to contributions from psychoanalysis and hospital psychology regarding eating manifestations in the pediatric hospital context. Food refusal is seen as a possible expression of psychological and psychosocial suffering, considering its connection to the body, how others see the person, experiences of social exclusion, and the role of the hospital environment as a potential space for listening and acknowledging subjectivity. It’s concluded that combining hospital psychology, psychoanalysis, and the multidisciplinary team expands the possibilities for understanding and clinical management, taking into account not just the person’s physical stabilization, but also their individuality, relationships, and living conditions.