Schizophrénie et psychose chez Jean Oury

Abstract

ObjectivesInstitutional psychotherapy remains an important current of thought for anyone working in hospitals or in institutions with patients suffering from psychiatric problems. Jean Oury is the main figure of this current and he always maintained that all the ideas and notions of institutional psychotherapy could only be thought of in conjunction with a daily practice centered on psychosis in general and on schizophrenia in particular. It therefore seemed interesting to us to try to summarize Oury's definition and conception of psychosis and schizophrenia. MethodThe value of our contribution is relative: Oury never wanted to give lectures on the subject and he refused the academic discourse. His style and his mainly oral teaching do not lend itself to a somewhat academic summary. Nevertheless, it seemed to us that the exercise was worth it. Based on numerous quotations, we wanted to synthesize Jean Oury's position. FindingsThe nosology on which Oury relies is borrowed from classical psychiatry and is, in our opinion, not the most appropriate for a clinical practice that advocates reception and encounter. DiscussionFor the future of institutional psychotherapy, it is undoubtedly important to dissociate all the recommendations of the movement to heal the institution from the nosology on which they are based. ConclusionOnly institutional psychotherapy has taught us to try to heal care institutions and to fight against the natural tendency of these places to segregation and caregiver-patient power relations. But a clinical practice of reception and encounter deserves better than a nosology borrowed from classical psychiatry.