[Quality of life and psycho-emotional adjustment of professionals working in a psychiatric gerontology service].

Abstract

Given the lack of hope for a cure of dementia, healthcare professionals provide end-of-life patients and their families with close support. The strain they place on their medical, technical, relational and emotional skills is not without consequences for their quality of life and psycho-emotional adjustment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the consequences of the work of practitioners in a gerontological psychiatric service in Belgium. The study was carried out on 20 professionals working on a regular basis in this hospital department. The practitioners completed several questionnaires (quality of life, stress, emotional work, anxiety-depressive symptoms). The results showed that a state of emotional consonance (or congruence) underpins their quality of life and psycho-emotional adjustment. In contrast, a state of dissonance seems to contribute to the onset of symptoms such as anxiety or depression among healthcare professionals. The study highlights the importance of developing national prevention strategies and plans to detect psychological distress in healthcare professionals working in the field of psychiatric gerontology.