In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, visits by relatives to Nursing Homes for the Elderly (EHPAD) and Long-Term Care Units (USLD) have been severely restricted or even prohibited in order to protect the residents and patients, especially the most vulnerable among them. This situation has revived the debate around the place and role of the relational entourage in caring for the elderly. The relevance of family ties in supporting the narcissistic and objectal cathexis of the elderly has thus gained recognition. There is, however, the risk of an emerging form of uniformization and idealization, which the present article seeks to address by highlighting some aspects of the intrapsychic and inter-relational dynamics that drive the inherent complexity of those bonds.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact worldwide, at different levels. The literature consulted indicates that healthcare workers, who are the first to respond, are generally the ones who pay the highest price. The present study assesses the extent of anxious and depressive symptoms among these actors responding to COVID-19, in the context of Cameroon.