Marseille 2007
Marseille 2007
Abstract book
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Abstract #10  -  EXAMINING THE REALITY OF BURNOUT AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CARING OF PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS IN CAMEROUN
Session:
  26.13: Posters B (Poster) on Tuesday   in  Chaired by
Authors:
  Presenting Author:   Ms Tantchou Yakam Josiane Carine - Institut de Recherche pour le Dveloppement, France
 
  Additional Authors:   
Aim:
The paper is based on an anthropological research work in progress. The major assumption of the work is as follows: the concept of burnout, largely applied and documented for developed countries (Europe and North America), need to be adapted to situations observed in countries of the South. To validate the use of this concept in sub-Saharan Africa, a precise investigation is necessary, which will try to understand, test and describe the pocess by which the interaction of work environnement, poor health structure and organization, low salaries produces dissatisfaction, emotional depletion, depersonalization and a reduce sense of accomplishment, symptoms which define burnout (Schaufeli & Maslach, 1993). How do health professionals, supposed to be burnouted, interact with their patients? The negative impact of this reality will be investigate specifically in relation with the caring of patients with HIV/AIDS, whom in the context of Africa, need an emotional support they sometimes cannot obtained from their families and patients associations.
 
Method / Issue:
The research is conducted on two sites: the northern (high prevalence of HIV/AIDS) and western (low prevalence of HIV/AIDS) regions of Cameroun. On each of these sites, interviews and life histories will be collected which health professionals, and people with HIV/AIDS, the Maslach Burnout Inventory tested and applied . I am now conducting observations (participant observation) in health centers, following doctors and nurses in their encounters/interactions with patients in general and those with HIV/AIDS in particular, sharing their environment and work-load, helping them with some simple tasks as filling registers, attendence book, collecting patients hospital books, etc.
 
Results / Comments:
I am still involved in the first of the three fieldwork phases scheduled to tackle this research object. The paper I wish to present at the conference, will propose an analysis of this first set of data. Ethical agreement have been obtained from the Cameroon Ministry of Health and National Ethical Committee. The research is supported by ANRS (Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le Sida et les Hpatites/ANRS 12144).
 
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