Taking care of staff: psychodynamic groups for healthcare professionals - Improving and maintaining staff well-being is a key corporate strategy for every stafforiented health promoting hospital. Nevertheless, there is a constant increase in suffering and conflict situations, with related manifestations of distress among healthcare professionals in hospitals departments. In the last few years, the UO 1 of Clinical Psychology at the Healthcare Trust of the Autonomous Province of Trent has introduced "psychodynamic groups" by adapting psychotherapeutic methods to the requirements of team members under the guidance of a leading psychologist. Group activity lasts an average of 12-18 months, with regular discussion meetings (twice a month). Meetings are aimed to foster participation, to transform traumatic experiences and promote the mentalization process so as to establish a new relationship among staff and with patients, thus reducing individual distress. We had positive feedback on the experience: facing compassion fatigue led to an improved emotional climate, individual ability to build new coping strategies, and transformation of traumatic experiences.
Keywords: Institutions, organic disease, staff suffering, drive for change, psychotherapeutic groups, psychodynamic groups.