A Psychoanalytic Framework for Civic Renewal Reimagining Democracy from the Ground Up

1. The Unraveling Mind of a Polity: The Crisis of Mentalization in a Democratic Age  2. The Psychological Pillars of a Healthy Democracy: Attachment and Theory of Mind  3. An Evolving Understanding of Mentalization: From Mind to Brain  4. Believing Other People: How Epistemic Trust Evolves  5. Issues That Arise When Mentalization Goes Awry and What Can Be Done to Ameliorate the Problem  6. Critical Thinking and Mentalization: Similarities in Reflection, Differences in Domain and Affective Scope  7. Exploring Mentalization and Well-Being in Six Educational Settings   8. Engaging Parents and the Wider Community  9. Key Insights from Program Analyses 

Biography

Karyne E. Messina is a psychologist and psychoanalyst. She is on the medical staff of Suburban Hospital, which is part of Johns Hopkins Medicine. She is Chair of the American Psychoanalytic Association’s Scholarship and Writing committee, which is part of the Department of Psychoanalytic Education. She is also a member of the President’s Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

Dr. Messina has also written eight books and has three additional publications to be released in 2026 and 2027, focusing on applying psychoanalytic ideas to complex real-world issues we all face. She is currently writing a book, to be released this year, about the connection between mechanisms of defense—projection and projective identification—and AI bias, titled Using Psychoanalysis to Understand and Address AI Bias: Refractions in the Digital Mirror.

"Democracy is more than a set of institutional rules; it is a collective psychological enterprise. This book bridges the gap between the clinical consulting room and the democratic town square to offer a profound diagnostic of our current age of polarization. At its core is the concept of mentalization—the essential human capacity to perceive others as complex, thinking beings.

Through a rigorous synthesis of attachment theory, developmental neuroscience, and an analysis of critical theory, the text demonstrates how the erosion of ‘epistemic trust’ has collapsed our shared reality, leaving us trapped in a landscape of tribal signaling. This is more than a theoretical critique; it is an urgent pedagogical roadmap. By advocating for a ‘mentalizing stance’ within our K-12 schools and wider communities, the book provides a verifiable path toward civic repair and psychological resilience. It is essential reading for educators, clinicians, and citizens seeking to understand the deep-seated psychological roots of our political fracturing—and how we might begin the work of building a more reflective and secure democratic future."

Harry Gill, M.D., Ph.D.