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Training and support group for healthcare professionals
KALLERGIS G.*
*Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, School of Health, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Traditionally, healthcare professionals working at Hospitals were considered to perform a very burdensome and demanding task. Adding to that is the frustration expressed by patients and their relatives.
The difficulties encountered by healthcare professionals in daily clinical practice were investigated in the context of Consulting-Liaison Psychiatry.
It appears that the origin of these difficulties lies in the treatment of patients within the therapeutic relationship; sometimes healthcare professionals succeed in their approach but in others they fail. When they do fail, they tend to label patients as "difficult", "odd", "uncooperative", and often engage into disagreements with them.
Not only that, but doctors become rivals with the patient's family.
Therefore, we formed groups to explore the problems faced by healthcare professionals.
The research was conducted at the Psychiatric department of the METAXA Cancer Hospital in the context of Consulting-Liaison Psychiatry. The method applied was qualitative research.
The groups had a weekly frequency of 90 minutes and met for five years. The studies of Michael Balint and Kahana & Bibring were employed to gain an understanding of the patient on the basis of his personality type. The components included in the group work were the following:
- instruction
- experience
- self-awareness
- supervision work within the group.
Conclusions
- The psychodynamic concepts were assimilated fairly well.
- Characters or personality types encouraged members'self-awareness and patient understanding.
- Experiential processes and supervision work within the group promoted the members' interest.
- Participants believed that they gained a greater understanding of the patient; they felt more qualified to inform the patient and also reported that group sessions had a beneficial impact on their own personal relations. Encephalos 2010, 47(4):207-213.
Key words: Training, group, experiential, healthcare professionals, liaison psychiatry.
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