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

Abstract

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