Did you know… Maria Cristina Bonanni

Dr. Maria Cristina Bonanni, a rehabilitation technician at the Villa San Giuseppe Hospital nursing home in Ascoli Piceno, tells us about psychiatric rehabilitation: the process they follow to assess patients, create personalised therapeutic plans, and the interventions they apply, such as psychoeducation, cognitive rehabilitation and social skills training. 

Could you briefly describe your work as a psychiatric rehabilitation technician at the Sisters Hospitallers?

My work as a psychiatric rehabilitation technician in the residence consists of receiving the user, assessing his or her functioning and defining the rehabilitation intervention chosen on the basis of the information gathered. Interventions can be group or individual, as long as they are agreed and shared with the user..

How do you integrate the charism of the Sisters Hospitallers in your daily work with patients?

I integrate the charism of the Sisters Hospitallers through collaboration, solidarity, active listening, empathy, support and containment, accompanying the user step by step along the care pathway and colleagues in a relationship of continuous personal change and experiential growth.

From a professional point of view, what are the main techniques or approaches you use in psychiatric rehabilitation to accompany patients in their recovery process?

The main techniques I use are cognitive-behavioural techniques aimed at modifying dysfunctional behaviour into functional behaviour. Within the rehabilitation service I carry out various activities such as: evaluations of personal, social and global functioning to identify areas of deficit, information sessions on psychiatric disorders and their treatments (psychoeducations), cognitive rehabilitation (Cogpack, R.O.T., Cognitive Rehabilitation (Cogpack, R.O.T., R.O.T., Sensory Rehabilitation) to stimulate the patient’s cognitive functioning, Sensory rehabilitation) to stimulate and/or maintain residual cognitive abilities, Re-teaching of social skills (Social skills training) to increase the quality of life perceived by the user in terms of work/employment/training-self-care/environment-leisure management-emotional management-effective communication.

How do you think psychiatric rehabilitation can transform the lives of people with mental illness?

I believe that mental illness has a strong impact on people’s lives by causing significant pain and loss. By following a well-structured plan of planned activities, the person contained and stimulated on a daily basis can function again in many areas such as work, social relationships, family relationships and the management of stress, frustrations and emotions.

Are there any recent or ongoing projects you are involved in at the centre that you would like to share with us?

I have always been interested in exchanges with other Italian and non-Italian houses of the Sisters Hospitallers in order to observe and learn new methods and clinical coping strategies, build new interpersonal relationships, get to know new cultures, perfect or learn new languages. Furthermore, I do not exclude the interest of involving them in the Montagnoterapia project in which I am personally involved, also to share an annual co-presence.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced working in psychiatric rehabilitation and how have you overcome it?

I have often encountered limitations and difficulties, over time I have worked on my impulsivity by mitigating it, I have worked a lot on teamwork and analysing collective needs, we are often so focused on our own needs or the desire to climb the ladder quickly that we forget that we all choose helping jobs because we are motivated by a belief in change. Others become too immersed in the other, overstepping therapeutic boundaries, becoming overly concerned with the other’s needs or substituting themselves for familiar figures. They overburden these figures and then pay for it with a sudden drop in energy and resources as they feel overwhelmed. This also harms the patient, who already has his or her affections and just needs to be guided firmly and clearly, without confusing double messages. Over the years, many forget where their choice of work comes from and move away from the values of fairness, justice, transparency, solidarity and humanity. It certainly remains difficult to find and understand the right distance or the right moment of closeness, it requires immense flexibility. That is why I believe we also need psychological support to stay within the guidelines of good standards.

Can you share any anecdotes or experiences that have marked you during your work with the Sisters Hospitallers?

I would like to share with you the story of a lady who was admitted in 2016 for a postpartum mood disorder, she came to us mute and delirious, every day with her I did individual cognitive rehabilitation sessions, the first few days it was difficult there was no sign of participation, She wrote one word out of ten since the birth and even badly, she hardly pronounced words in a low voice, but I continued every day, one hour every two days, pencil and paper exercises, sensory stimulation evoking pleasant past memories, creating time-space links, touching different materials, smelling different smells. After two months, he was writing and speaking correctly and fluently. His mood had stabilised, his delusions had also faded, his mind had become bright again. In my heart I felt joy for persevering, for not giving up and not listening to those who told me: but who forces you to do it? don’t you see that it’s useless? your work is a waste of time! don’t you see that she doesn’t understand anything?

How do you think the General Chapter’s motto, ‘Be clothed in Compassion’, is reflected in your daily work as a psychiatric rehabilitation technician?

Solidarity, mercy and hope must represent for me the good example, ‘the good social model’ must know how to welcome with kindness, to dialogue with kindness, to listen actively, to participate with interest and to dedicate time to the other in dedicated places. Finally, we must respect personal space, emotional boundaries and be as non-judgmental as possible.

What message would you like to give to people who have relatives or loved ones with psychiatric illnesses about the importance of rehabilitation?

I would like to advise relatives of people with mental disorders not to protect themselves by omitting and withholding important information, as this delays the start of treatment. I advise them to have the courage to ask for help, to accept and not to judge. I advise them to participate in the journey of care and change day after day together with the team that cares for the person with mental distress (doctors, nurses, technicians, educators, OSS). Only through transparency and continuous collaboration can the therapeutic goals be achieved.

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