Aurelie Lagarrigue, University of Paris 7, France

Aurelie Lagarrigue

University of Paris 7, France

Presentation Title:

Manic times and melancholic times in support groups for healthcare teams during the Covid 19 pandemic

Abstract

During the 2019 Covid pandemic, and more specifically at the very beginning of the lockdown, we (Argenteuil Hospital Center) worked to create an emergency support and intervention system in wards receiving Covid-19 patients. This system, designed for healthcare teams suddenly confronted with an influx of patients and a growing number of deaths, allowed us to take into account the traumatic nature of the event, the sudden change in working conditions, and the risks incurred at the beginning of the pandemic.The interventions took place mainly in the intensive care, pulmonology, emergency, and geriatric departments, as well as the morgue. Based on the analysis of this experience and the implementation of this system among healthcare teams (physicians, intern psychologists, management, and technical staff), we aim to articulate the impact of group care and support the hypothesis that this type of system is a factor in reducing symptoms during a crisis. We will analyze the traumatic effects of this crisis on hospital staff suddenly confronted with an excessive number of deaths during a period of confinement: (symptoms of post-traumatic stress, emergence of mood disorders). We will thus attempt to restore the importance of these emergency group interventions in the face of a crisis of such magnitude by drawing on the body of group theories.

Biography

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