Changes in Provision of Psychotherapy in the Early Weeks of the COVID-19 Lockdown in Austria

Thomas Probst, Peter Stippl and Christoph Pieh
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Thomas Probst: Department for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
Peter Stippl: Austrian Federal Association for Psychotherapy, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Christoph Pieh: Department for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-10

Abstract: Reducing personal contacts is a central measure against the spreading of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This troubles mental health, but also mental health care as treatments usually take place in personal contact and switching to remote treatments might be necessary in times of COVID-19. The present study investigated the question how the provision of psychotherapy changed in the early weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown in Austria and whether there were differences between the four therapeutic orientations eligible in Austria (psychodynamic, humanistic, systemic, behavioral). Psychotherapists ( N = 1547) completed an online survey. They entered their number of patients treated on average per week (in personal contact, via telephone, via Internet) in the early weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown in Austria as well as (retrospectively) in the months before. The number of patients treated on average per week in personal contact decreased (on average 81%; p < 0.001), whereas the number of patients treated on average per week via telephone and via Internet increased (on average 979% and 1561%; both p < 0.001). Yet, the decrease of psychotherapies through personal contact was not compensated for by increases of remote psychotherapies ( p < 0.001). No differences between the four therapeutic orientations emerged. Results imply an undersupply of psychotherapy in the COVID-19 lockdown and that further changes are necessary to cover the increased need for timely psychotherapy in times of COVID-19.

Keywords: psychotherapy; COVID-19; Public Health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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