Coping, styles défensifs et dépersonnalisation de la relation soignante d’urgence

Abstract

The medical emergence activity is characterised by intensive professional stress that psychological impact doesn’t implicate disorganization effect on mental health of emergence staff, which activate efficiency strategies as depersonalization of relation named distanciation and considered as defensive strategy by Laurent and considered as a defence mechanism by McManus. This study was conducted in a pre-hospital emergency department (SAMU) in order to evaluate the dominant coping strategies and the defence styles more or less mature in the distancing of the relation with the patient. Goals The research aims at testing the relation between the relational depersonalization and the defence styles or the coping strategies in a population of the pre-hospital emergency department. Population The population includes 15 SAMU staff and 11 hospitals medical. Instruments The comparative analysis are based on the data obtained from 15 SAMU staff and 11 hospital medical completed during a clinical interview four clinical scales: the Job Stress Survey (JSS), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Ways of Coping Check List (WCC) validated by Cousson et al. and, the Defence Style Questionnaire (DSQ 40). The French version of Defence Style Questionnaire explores 20 defence mechanisms, as well as three defence styles: (1) a “mature style”, composed by 4 defences (sublimation, humour, anticipation, repression); (2) a “neurotic style”, composed by 4 defences (annulation, reactional formation, altruism and idealization); (3) an “immature style”, composed by 12 defences. Results The emergency medical assistance professionals presented significant scores lesser than hospital medical staff concerning the perceived professional stress, the emotional burnout, the coping centred on emotions and immature defence styles. Against, their mature styles are significantly higher. Conclusion These results lead us to examine the importance of coping abilities and defence styles in the functional value of the distancing of the relation with the patient among SAMU staff.