Knowledge and Anguish at Work: the Clinical Case of a Telephone Operator

Objective: The objective of this study was to understand the meaning of mental symptoms manifested at work by articulating their material basis present in the work context and the subject's historical singularity. Theoretical Framework: Psychoanalytic theory is used in this case study as a basis for understanding the relationship between knowledge and anguish at work. On the other hand, it is in ergology that we find the necessary theorizations for a reading of what affects the subject in tele-service work. Method: This is a clinical case study based on the psychoanalytically oriented notes of a telemarketer with work-related symptoms. Results and Discussion: As the main result, we read symptomatic production both as a response on a level of direct material causality to the inconsistency of the assumption of knowledge attributed to the trade and the value of work, and as a way out that the subject finds for their symptomatic position. Implications of the research: We conclude that the orientation of the treatment must seek to preserve the assumption of knowledge in the subject and in their work and enable subjective and material accountability. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by combining psychoanalysis and ergology in the search for an understanding of illness at work. The relevance and value of this research is evidenced by the fact that it presents an original clinical case that seeks to highlight the relationship between the place reserved for knowledge in contemporary work and the symptoms produced by it.