Study of the psychological impact in surgery: trauma and posttraumatic effects

O proposito deste estudo e avaliar o impacto psicologico da vivencia hospitalar de individuos que sofrem complicacoes pos-operatoria, partindo do pressuposto de que a intercorrencia agrava o quadro clinico com repercussoes na esfera psiquica destes pacientes. Teoricamente enfoca a evolucao do conceito de trauma na teoria freudiana, partindo do desamparo primordial (hilflosigkeit) ate a nova concepcao de angustia, levando em consideracao o fator economico, a nocao de a posteriori (nachträglichkeit) e a compulsao a repeticao. Com o intuito de ampliar a compreensao do fenomeno, o estudo percorre a etiologia do trauma para outros teoricos: Sandor Ferenczi, sobre o narcisismo da doenca; Donald W. Winnicott, que correlaciona o trauma a vivencia do fracasso do ambiente, a imprevisibilidade, ao excesso de tempo de exposicao a situacao desorganizadora, e a elevacao do nivel de dependencia. A constancia desta situacao leva ao que Maksud Khan nomeou de trauma cumulativo. A hipotese e a de que esta experiencia hospitalar pode promover um trauma psiquico, na medida em que o individuo se ve diante de uma situacao imprevisivel, que pode lhe causar transbordamento emocional pelo estado de desamparo, impotencia e risco da perda de sua integridade fisica -, que inibe uma elaboracao psiquica. Apos a alta hospitalar tais fatores podem, ainda, desencadear efeitos pos-traumaticos, acarretando-lhe, assim, uma dificuldade adaptativa. Para Moty Benyakar isto significa que o evento disruptivo pode promover um vivenciar traumatico dado a magnitude do impacto no psiquismo. Metodologicamente, para melhor compreensao do processo psiquico, faz-se um estudo longitudinal, de seis sujeitos, iniciando enquanto estes se encontram hospitalizados (situacao potencialmente traumatica), tres e seis meses apos a alta hospitalar. Na aplicacao do metodo qualitativo o estudo baseia-se na coleta de dados com entrevistas e na aplicacao reduzida da tecnica projetiva do TAT (Thematic Apperception Test). Pelo metodo quantitativo os pacientes sao submetidos a aplicacao da escala de avaliacao do transtorno de estresse pos-traumatico (CAPS Clinician Administred PTDS Scale). Esta pesquisa foi realizada em Hospital Escola de Universidade Publica, apos a aprovacao do Comite de Etica desta instituicao e do Comite de Etica para Seres Humanos do Instituto de Psicologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo. Atraves dos resultados obtidos na pesquisa pode-se constatar que ha uma relacao direta entre o evento e os seus efeitos no psiquismo. Pelo proprio carater disruptivo da instituicao hospitalar, dos encargos dos problemas de saude e do entorno (familiar, socioeconomico) o individuo vivencia uma vulnerabilidade fisica e psiquica. Contudo constatou-se que a dimensao da repercussao psiquica esta diretamente associada ao quadro clinico dos pesquisados, e ao tempo que ficam expostos a situacao potencialmente traumatica. Sendo este um fator fundamental na incidencia dos sintomas do Transtorno de Estresse Pos-traumatico. Com base neste estudo psicologico das complicacoes pos-operatorias, espera-se possibilitar aos profissionais de saude um novo olhar ao promover sua conscientizacao sobre problemas advindos desta experiencia, nao so aos individuos como, tambem, aos familiares, levantando a possibilidade de, se necessario, recorrerem a uma assistencia psicologica e/ou psiquiatricaThe objective of this study is to assess the psychological impact in subjects who stay in hospital after suffering from post-operative complications, on the assumption that the clinical picture gets worse causing troubles in the psychic area of these patients. Theoretically it focuses the evolution of the concept of trauma according to Freudian theory, since the primordial abandonment (hilflosigkeit) up to the new concept of distress, considering the economical situation, the concept of a posteriori (nachtraglichkeit) and the repetition compulsion. Aiming to offer a deeper understanding of the phenomenon, the study works with the etiology of trauma by other theorists: Sandor Ferenczi, about the narcissism of the disorder; Donald W. Winnicott, who relates the trauma to the experience of the environment failure, the unpredictability, the length of time facing a disordering situation, and the raising in dependence level. The constancy of this situation leads to what Maksud Khan called as cumulative trauma. The hypothesis is that in-hospital experience might provide a psychic trauma in so far as the subject has faced an unpredictable situation that might cause an overflow of emotions feeling abandoned, powerless and at the risk of losing physical integrity -, inhibiting a psychic elaboration. After having been discharged from hospital, such factors might also trigger post traumatic effects, implying into an adapting difficulty. According to Moty Benyakar, the disruptive event might provide a traumatic experience due to the great impact in the psychism. Methodologically for a better understanding of the psychic process, a longitudinal study has been made, with a number x of subjects, starting while they are in hospital (a potentially traumatic situation), from three to six months after they had been discharged from hospital. Applying the qualitative method the study has been based on the data collected through interviews and in the reduced application of the projective technique of TAT ( Thematic Apperception Test). Through the quantitative method the patients have been submitted to the application of the evaluation scale on the post-traumatic stress disorder (CAPS - Clinician Administered PTDS Scale). This research was carried out at the Hospital Escola da Universidade Publica, after the approval of the Comite de Etica ( Ethics Committee) of this institution and the Comite de Etica para Seres Humanos ( Ethics Committee for Human Beings) of the Instituto de Psicologia (Psychology Institute) of Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP). Through the results provided by the research, it was observed that there is a direct relation between the event and the effects in the psychism. For the own disruptive aspect in hospital, the burdens of health disorders and other surroundings ( familiar, socio- economic problems), the subject lives in a physical and psychic vulnerability. However it was pointed out that the dimension of the psychic repercussion is directly linked to the clinical picture of the six subjects who are studied, and the length of time that they have been exposed to the potentially traumatic situation. And this factor is extremely important in the incidence of the symptoms of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This psychological study of the post- traumatic surgery complications is meant to bring to health professionals much more awareness about the problems that come after this experience, not only for the subjects as well as to the relatives, who should be allowed to require, whenever necessary, some psychological and/or psychiatric treatmen