Segregación simbólica en adultos mayores por introducción de pruebas psicométricas en un gerontológico : lectura lacaniana del malestar y ambivalencia institucional.

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the introduction of psychometric tests applied in an outpatient gerontological center. In this context, responses such as anxiety, rejection, and feelings of abandonment were observed in older adults. These responses reflected subjective transformations characteristic of aging. The gerontological institution functioned as a symbolic Other, providing care and containment, but also demanding and judging individuals. The psychometric evaluation was not merely a technical tool; it was a discursive practice that classified and sought to order, unintentionally producing effects on subjectivity. When approached from a psychoanalytic perspective, a normative practice was revealed, which often implicitly entails a gesture of symbolic segregation. The methodology consisted of a psychoanalytically oriented literature review, supported by the use of semi-structured surveys. This approach allowed for an examination of the discourses behind the evaluation and an understanding of how these can affect the dignity and subjective history of individuals. In many cases, words were replaced by quantifiable data, generating ambivalence toward the institution and fracturing social bonds. These dynamics constituted a subtle form of inequality and symbolic exclusion, with direct consequences for the mental health of older adults. Therefore, this study sought, through an analytical reading of institutional practices, to encourage the institution to consider implementing assessments that not only prioritize results but also promote inclusion.