Psychotherapists’ Reports regarding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Their Patients: A Cross-National Descriptive Study Based on the Social-Ecological Model (SEM)

Yvonne Schaffler, Martin Kuska, Antonia Barke, Bettina K. Doering, Katharina Gossmann, Zdenek Meier, Natalia Kascakova, Peter Tavel, Elke Humer, Christoph Pieh, Peter Stippl, Wolfgang Schimböck, Barbara Haid and Thomas Probst
Additional contact information
Yvonne Schaffler: Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
Martin Kuska: Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
Antonia Barke: Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, 85072 Eichstätt, Germany
Bettina K. Doering: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, 16861 Neuruppin, Germany
Katharina Gossmann: Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, 85072 Eichstätt, Germany
Zdenek Meier: Olomouc University Social Health Institute (OUSHI), Palacky University Olomouc, 77111 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Natalia Kascakova: Olomouc University Social Health Institute (OUSHI), Palacky University Olomouc, 77111 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Peter Tavel: Olomouc University Social Health Institute (OUSHI), Palacky University Olomouc, 77111 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Elke Humer: Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
Christoph Pieh: Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
Peter Stippl: Austrian Federal Association for Psychotherapy, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Wolfgang Schimböck: Austrian Federal Association for Psychotherapy, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Barbara Haid: Austrian Federal Association for Psychotherapy, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Thomas Probst: Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-19

Abstract: The COVID-19 outbreak has raised questions about how vulnerable groups experience the pandemic. Research that focuses on the view of individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions is still limited, and so are cross-country comparative surveys. We gathered our sample of qualitative data during the first lockdown after governmental measures against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus came into force in Austria, Czechia, Germany, and Slovakia. A total of n = 1690 psychotherapists from four middle European countries answered the question of how the COVID-19 pandemic was addressed in sessions by their patients during the early stage of unprecedented public health conditions. We employed a descriptive qualitative methodology to determine themes following levels of the social-ecological model (SEM) regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic affected patients. At the public policy level, stressful environmental conditions concerned the governmental mitigation efforts. At the level of community/society, reported key themes were employment, restricted access to educational and health facilities, socioeconomic consequences, and the pandemic itself. Key themes at the interpersonal level regarded forced proximity, the possibility of infection of loved ones, childcare, and homeschooling. Key themes at the individual level were the possibility of contracting COVID-19, having to stay at home/isolation, and a changing environment. Within the SEM framework, adaptive and maladaptive responses to these stressors were reported, with more similarities than differences between the countries. A quantification of word stems showed that the maladaptive reactions predominated.

Keywords: psychotherapy; COVID-19; pandemic; stressors; social environment; mental health; adaptive responses; maladaptive responses (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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