Psychosocial strain and conflict management at residential homes for adults and young persons with developmental disorders

In the last years there has been increasing international attention to situations where young persons and adults with developmental disorders and reduced cognitive and emotional capacity have been victims of abuse in residential homes. At the same time we know from several studies that staff members of these institutions experience a great extent of psychosocial strain at work, including violence. It is important for residents and staff to find out how such outcomes can be avoided.

The aim of our study was to reach a better understanding of the mechanisms that may lead to conflicts and misunderstanding between residents and pedagogical staff. We paid special attention to communication and forms of social interaction in everyday situations, as well as to pedagogical practice and conflict management in local institutional settings.

Five residential homes were included in the study. The investigation was designed as an institutional ethnography including a mixed method design comprising field observations, focused individual and group interviews with staff members, and a questionnaire study to all frontline staff members.

The analysis of these data identified crucial results as regards the relationship between forms of interaction, professional paradigms, workload and conflicts. The analysis showed that the psychological strain on the professional staff members are primarily connected to conflicts they do not understand and cannot predict. It challenges their professional identity and self-esteem. Concurrently there seems to be a contradiction between the theories they refer to and the practical experience they have from being in day-to-day interaction with people with developmental disorders. This specific problematic of the field seems to indicate that we are facing a deeper limitation in our comprehension of these people. The results furthermore indicate that the guidelines for the professional support might themselves generate the conflicts they are meant to prevent.