The function and value of staff groups on psychiatric wards

Summary This paper discusses aspects of the psychological service known as Staff Groups or Staff Support Groups, as provided to the staff of psychiatric wards. A typical example of such a group session is described and discussed, in which the facilitator was able to reach some levels of anxiety in the staff which had become enacted in the care of their patients, but deeper understanding was resisted. Issues regarding evaluation, the use of transference interpretations, and whether such a service has a natural endpoint, are discussed.