Essere volontari in un reparto di neuropsichiatria infantile: l'iintervista ermeneutica per una analisi di bisogni, risorse e criticità.

The Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Ward of Careggi Hospital in Florence hosts a variety of patients suffering from very severe neurological and psychiatric pathologies, that in many cases require prolonged hospitalization. In order to provide support to the patients and family members, a voluntary service has been activated in the Ward. In the present paper we present the results of an action-re- search that was devised in order to explore life experience of the volunteers ac- cording to the phenomenologic hermenutic approach. Six volunteers from the Helios Association (Florence) were individually interviewed; the recorded materi- al underwent content analysis and was then utilized as mediating material for group training sessions with the volunteers of the Association. The group meet- ings were organized twice a month for one year and provided clarification and psychologic support to the volunteers. The meetings took place at the Helios As- sociation, were conducted by the reserch group and lasted 90 minutes each. Here we propose an analysis of the relational and emotional dynamics connected with the presence of the volunteers in the Ward, as perceived by the participants dur- ing the service. Furthermore we explore some personal implications that emerged in the interviews, where deep identification movements were detected from the part of the volunteers with respect to the young anorexic patients that are assisted in the Ward. We finally discuss the institutional implications of the results with respect to the issue of the wellbeing of the volunteers and the appropriateness of the voluntary service in mental health care settings for pediatric patients.