Social representations of contention in children: of the viewpoint of pediatric professionals

• Published in: Archives de pédiatrie : organe officiel de la Société française de pédiatrie 2015-01, Vol.22 (1), p.4-13
• Main Authors: Oudjani, C, Dany, L, Derome, M, Bataille, J
• Format: Article
• Language: fre
• Subjects: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Child; Decision Making; Female; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Male; Middle Aged; Parents; Pediatrics; Restraint, Physical
• ISSN: 1769-664X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.arcped.2014.10.001

This study is part of a current context raising questions on restraint practices in healthcare at the national and international level. It examines how social representations of restraint organize and shape the discourse of professionals within the context of healthcare and support for sick and/or disabled children. The main objective was to understand how these social representations were expressed in restraint practices. A qualitative method using semi-structured interviews was chosen to meet the goals set out. The research was conducted with 15 healthcare professionals in pediatrics, infant intensive care, and neurorespiratory rehabilitation at Raymond Poincaré Hospital. The data were processed using a content analysis of the thematic type. The results suggest that social representations particularly affect the experience of these professionals and the representations they may have concerning the experience of children, parents, and the role played by the latter in restraint situations. They also show that restraint is a multidimensional object that is difficult to understand, particularly because of the current context of questioning this practice within pediatric departments. Despite certain methodological limitations, this study has contributed to a reflective process around restraint practices within a psychosocial approach of understanding the subject and its issues.