AUTHOR=Volpato Eleonora , Banfi Paolo Innocente , Valota Chiara , Pagnini Francesco 

TITLE=Psychological Support for Health Professionals: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01816

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01816

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> The work of health care professionals (HCPs) exposes them to emotionally difficult situations, anxiety, suffering and death, so they are at risk of burnout.</p><p><bold>Objectives:</bold> To describe HCPs’ experiences of a psychological support intervention and its influence on the daily work of a sample caring for patients with neuromuscular and chronic respiratory illnesses.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> This exploratory, descriptive, qualitative study was carried out at the Respiratory Rehabilitation Unit of IRCCS Santa Maria Nascente, in Milan, Italy. Semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 10 HCPs were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Five related themes emerged: psychological support; repeating the experience; relationships; the role of homework; competences. HCPs perceived that the intervention influenced their daily life, giving them a secure base and a new perspective on their professional role.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Psychological support interventions may not be appropriate for all HCPs, but they may help some HCPs to handle the demands of a stressful work life. Further studies are needed to determine its efficacy in reducing stress and prevent burnout.</p>