정신건강전문요원의 정신과적 응급대응 현장출동 경험

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate in depth the experiences of mental health professionals who perform the task of psychiatric emergency response and to explore their needs for practical support. Two focus group interviews were conducted to collect data from mental health professionals who experienced the task of psychiatric emergency response at a mental health welfare center in Busan, South Korea. Qualitative data analysis extracted three theme clusters and 10 sub-themes and the key findings include the following: 1) ‘the primary experience of psychiatric emergency response - being thrown into barren ground’; 2) ‘the growth through experiences of psychiatric emergency response - what matters is the invincible spirit’; and 3) ‘preparation for psychiatric emergency response - building the ground to stand firm’. Findings highlight the importance of establishing standard guidelines that can be applied to the arrangement of mental health professionals for psychiatric emergency response, expanding support for the workforce, building education and training systems, and developing institutional support plan for effective response.