[Therapeutic alliance between sectorial psychiatry inpatients and nurses and aides: A prospective, observational and...

Therapeutic alliance represents a rarely studied object when it relates to nurses and care provided by a nursing team in acute care hospitalization.

The objective was to study how factors might influence the therapeutic alliance built between nurses and aides and adult inpatients in an acute care unit of sectorial general psychiatry.

This is a prospective, observational and cross-sectional study using a therapeutic alliance measurement scale. Therapeutic alliance (TA) score was measured with a STAR-P scale in a sample of 240 patients.

The median score found is 33.4 (±7.8) out of a maximum theoretical score of 48. The global score of TA in patients aged 60 years old or more is significantly higher than the score of patients between 18 and 29 years old (p=0.021). The lack of external follow-up in the three months after hospital release is not associated with TA global score (p=0.73). If inpatients, no matter what their diseases or types of care are, under legal obligation or not, consider their TA is rather good after their hospital stay. Only sociodemographic factors like age, housing conditions (insecure or sustainable), having a job or not, living alone or with a partner affect TA and follow-up.

Results evoke concepts of anomie and attachment, that seem to play an important role in the lack of follow-up after hospital stay, and indicate the mandatory global approach to care and an involvement of health professionals as well as social beings, where empathy must find its place.