When contextual realities hinder the process of welcoming new patients in psychiatric emergency units

Introduction: Questioning the implementation of care in psychiatry requires a reflection on and around the moment when patients first arrive at an emergency unit. In other words, it is necessary to take a look at the contextual conditions of this first moment of care. Our objective is to study the ingredients that contribute to the development or maintenance of a welcoming attitude.

Methods: Grounded theory allowed us to better understand the complexity of the phenomenon by meeting people working in crisis and psychiatric emergency units.

Results: The results present three pathways associated with the welcoming process: (1) pathway to activate the process; (2) pathway to weaken the process; (3) pathway to counteract the weakening pathway and feed the activation pathway. Reintroducing time to think and “spaces to speak” remains a challenge in the welcoming of patients in psychiatric emergency units.

Discussion: A welcoming reception depends on a favorable context-societal, political, institutional and environmental-being fostered and maintained in the professional and personal world of professionals.