EXPERIENCE OF MINDFULNESS ONLINE GROUPS FOR ANXIETY IN ADOLESCENTS DURING COVID-19

Abstract

An epidemic of such magnitude as the one caused by the COVID  forced us to rethink the scenarios of acting within Psychology itself. The confi nement and cessation of the usual social activities of Cuban adolescents caused the appearance of anxiety in a group of them, which led them to receive treatment through an online Mindfulness meditation group, an experience that constitutes the relevance of this research. With the aim of providing treatment for the manifestations of generalized anxiety disorder in this target population, two groups were developed virtually from social networks that, based on the therapist’s guidance, implement Mindfulness meditation procedures. Thus, constituting the present qualitative research of the action research type supported by historical-logical, analytical-synthetic and modeling methods among others. The sample was formed of  adolescents from Avila diagnosed with the pathology who sought help during confi nement in mental health services. As a result, the therapeutic procedure was executed as follows: two weekly group sessions as a frequency, with each session lasting  minutes (therapeutic hour) and an extension of  weeks, according to the therapeutic contract. The particularity in this case was that as an alternative means due to the need for physical distancing and confi nement due to the pandemic, it was developed through two WhatsApp groups and Zoom platform. By way of conclusions, it can be refl ected that at the end of the therapeutic procedure, a reduction in the initial symptoms was achieved in % of those involved, who, when subjected to reevaluation, demonstrated indicators of having gone through the pathology towards its compensation. It is important in this regard to clarify that in none of the cases medication was necessary at any time.