UNCONSCIOUS ECONOMIC CODES AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS: A TWO-LEVEL THEORETICAL MODEL

Liviu Poenaru, PhD & Stefania Ubaldi, PhD, MD

June 17, 2025

 

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ABSTRACT
This exploration proposes a dual-level model articulating the dissemination of unconscious economic codes through social institutions and their internalization by individuals, contributing to the development of mental distress and psychiatric disorders. Drawing on clinical psychology, computational sociology, and critical theory, we argue that economic logic—embedded in cultural environments—is unconsciously transmitted, internalized, and reproduced in daily life. The model links systemic and individual factors, offering insights for both simulation-based research and public health policy.

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Introduction

In contemporary societies, mental health crises have become increasingly pervasive, with rising rates of burnout, anxiety, and depressive disorders observed across diverse populations. While mainstream diagnostic systems typically emphasize neurochemical imbalances, genetic vulnerability, or childhood trauma, many overlook the broader sociocultural context in which psychic suffering unfolds. This reflection advances a different perspective: that unconscious exposure to dominant economic codes—such as competition, productivity, meritocracy, and self-optimization—plays a fundamental role in shaping both the structure of the psyche and the emergence of psychopathologies.

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The notion of "unconscious economic codes" (Poenaru, 2023) refers to internalized social imperatives rooted in economic rationality. These codes are not only communicated through overt discourse but are subtly embedded in everyday norms, digital environments, and institutional practices. Their impact is often unconscious and cumulative, creating conditions of symbolic violence and emotional dissonance. We propose a theoretical framework that connects macro-level systems of code transmission with micro-level psychological vulnerability, drawing on interdisciplinary contributions from sociology (Marmot, 2005), psychoanalysis (Kaës, 2024), and computational modeling (Epstein, 2006).

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The macro-level: cultural transmission of economic codes

At the societal level, various institutional systems—schools, media, digital platforms, and the workplace—act as vectors for disseminating economic codes. These institutions normalize the valuation of individuals based on productivity, visibility, and self-discipline. The following function models this systemic dissemination:

 

Cₑ(t) = ∑ₖ₌₁ⁿ λₖ · Sₖ(t)

 

Here, C_e(t) represents the total intensity of unconscious economic codes at time t, S_k(t) refers to the strength of each cultural system k, and λ_k indicates the transmissibility coefficient of each system. Research shows that competitive school systems and performative digital media environments increase psychological stress and feelings of inadequacy (Rosa, 2013; Lund et al., 2018). Over time, these norms become part of the cultural unconscious, shaping individuals’ self-concept and social behavior.

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Mass media platforms, for example, valorize constant visibility and self-promotion, encouraging individuals to treat themselves as projects to be optimized. Educational systems promote meritocratic ideals that reward conformity to economic rationality, while workplace cultures stress productivity, adaptability, and relentless innovation. These systemic pressures form a cultural ecology where economic codes circulate, replicate, and intensify.

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The micro-level: internalization and mental vulnerability

At the individual level, these circulating codes are metabolized unconsciously, interacting with personal history and social position. We represent this dynamic as:

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Mᵢ(t) = f(Cₑ(t), Rᵢ(t), Tᵢ, Hᵢ, Pᵢ)

 

Where M_i(t) reflects the mental health status of individual i at time t, R_i(t) is psychological resistance (resilience, symbolic resources), T_i is trauma exposure, H_i is personal history, and P_i is socioeconomic position. This formula underscores that mental disorders do not arise in a vacuum but at the intersection of systemic stressors and personal vulnerability (Patel et al., 2018).

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Internalized economic codes contribute to the structuring of the superego, producing an internal judge that demands constant optimization. Individuals who fail to meet these imperatives often experience self-blame, anxiety, or depressive collapse. Ehrenberg (2010) argues that the contemporary subject suffers not from repression but from overload: the demand to become the autonomous manager of one’s own existence. In this context, symptoms such as burnout, impostor syndrome, or social withdrawal reflect not only individual pathology but cultural contradictions or socio-economic pathologies.

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Reproduction and reinforcement: the feedback loop

An important component of our model is the recursive loop whereby individuals not only suffer from unconscious economic codes but also actively reproduce them through their behavior:

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Sₖ(t+1) = Sₖ(t) + φ · ∑ᵢ₌₁ᵐ θᵢ · Bᵢₖ(t)

 

Here, B_ik(t) denotes behaviors by individual i that reinforce system k (e.g., promoting competition, overworking, self-monitoring), θ_i is the degree of unconscious internalization, and ϕ is a social propagation coefficient. As Kaës (2024) observed, the unconscious is not isolated—it is intersubjective, tied to collective alliances and institutions. Through education, parenting, and participation in digital environments, individuals act as agents of code transmission.

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Digital capitalism amplifies this loop through algorithmic reinforcement. Social platforms reward behaviors that conform to visibility, influence, and engagement metrics. As Farmer and Foley (2009) argue, such systems create self-organizing feedback cycles where economic logics are naturalized. Thus, unconscious economic codes become "locked in" through affective investment and habitual repetition.

 

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Diagram of the two-level feedback model

Our model visually maps the movement of economic codes from societal systems to individuals, their transformation into symptoms, and the return of these symptoms to the social field through behavioral reinforcement. It emphasizes the dynamic interplay between external and internal domains.

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