Limited support for online group speech treatment for individuals with Parkinson’s disease during COVID-19 pandemic

Letter to editor

The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Eating Disorders.

Aims Online group therapy has gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as an alternative to face-to-face group therapy. This service evaluation is aimed at assessing how this paradigm shift is received by the patients and how the quality of the provided services is assured and potentially improved. Methods 1. We have retrospectively compared the attendance records from all psychotherapy groups in North Lanarkshire psychotherapy department between two distinct time periods: from November 2018 to January 2019 when only face-to-face groups were available (5 groups, 29 patients) and from November 2021 to January 2022 when only online groups were available (4 groups, 21 patients). 2. In order to prospectively assess patient's views regarding online group therapy, Client Satisfaction Questionnaires (CSQ-4, quantitative and qualitative) were distributed to January 2022 groups only. Results 1. The attendance rate was 5% lower in the face-to-face groups (76% vs 81%) while the non-attendance rate was lower by 1% in the online groups (9% vs 8%). The cancellation rate was also smaller by 5% in the online groups (14% to 9%). 2. In regard to the service satisfaction rates in the online groups, 57% of patients who responded, answered that “most of their needs have been met by the online services’’, 71% answered “services helped with their problems somewhat’’, 71% answered “they think they would come back to the program again and 66% answered” they are mostly satisfied with the services received.“The predominant positive aspects of the services according to free text comments were” “communication, understanding, sense of community’’ and the negative aspects that need improvement: “return to face-to-face (71% of answers), need personal interaction’’.* * We have extended the deadline for the acceptance of the responses to 20th of February 2022 due to mailing systems being slowed down by the pandemic. (7 out of 21 questionnaires have been returned) Conclusion Overall the attendance rates between the online and face-to-face group therapy exhibit minor differences. Concerning the patient satisfaction rates they reveal that the majority of patients who receive group therapy online are above-average satisfied with the services, feel that the online therapy provides a sense community but would prefer to return to face-to-face therapy. Further data and studies will be needed to reach more robust conclusions.

Gaming addiction is a compulsive mental health condition that can have severe negative consequences on a person's life. As online gaming has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, studies have shown a heightened risk of mental health issues. This study aims to assess the prevalence of severe phobia and addiction to online gaming among Arab adolescents and identify risk factors associated with these disorders. This cross-sectional study was conducted across 11 Arab nations. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling through an online survey distributed on social media platforms in 11 Arab countries. The survey included demographic questions, the Nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS-SF9) to measure participants' online gaming addiction, the Social Phobia Scale (SPS), and questions assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of internet gaming addiction. The data were analyzed using SPSS win statistical package version 26. Out of 2,458 participants, 2,237 were included in the sample due to non-response and missing data. The average age of the participants was 19.9 ± 4.8 years, and the majority were Egyptian and unmarried. 69% of the participants reported playing more than usual since the COVID-19 pandemic, as they were confined to their homes. Higher social phobia scores were associated with being single, male, and Egyptian. Participants from Egypt and those who felt that the pandemic significantly increased their gaming time had higher scores for online gaming addiction. Several major criteria, such as playing hours per day and beginning gaming at an early age, were associated with a higher level of online gaming addiction with social phobia. The study's findings suggest that there is a high prevalence of internet gaming addiction among Arab adolescents and young adults who play online games. The results also indicate a significant association between social phobia and several sociodemographic factors, which may inform future interventions and treatments for individuals with gaming addiction and social phobia.

Background: Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with the factors shaping mental health, even in dangerous situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, by emphasizing human capabilities. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of positive psychology in online group meetings on the spiritual well-being and positive and negative effects of Iranian working women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The present study was a clinical trial conducted with a pre-test, post-test, 1-month follow-up, and a control group conducted on all Iranian working women aged 18 - 45 years who were users of social networks (such as Instagram, Telegram, and WhatsApp) in 2022 - 2023. The sample was selected by convenience sampling and included 52 women assigned to the experimental (26 women) and control (26 women) groups. Data were collected using the Spiritual Well-Being scale (SWBS) of Paloutzian and Ellison and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The experimental group received 6 one-hour training sessions. The data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) through SPSS software (version 22). Results: The MANCOVA results revealed that after the intervention, there was a significant difference between the groups regarding the positive affect variable (P < 0.001), while no difference was observed between the two groups in spiritual well-being and negative affect (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The findings recommend interventions based on positive psychology to increase positive affect due to its emphasis on the positive points of the current situation and strengthening them, leading to the adoption of an active stance towards life. On the other hand, the insignificant effect of the treatment on spiritual well-being and negative effects necessitates more studies and more serious and long-term interventions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, community-based employment support organizations in Quebec, Canada have had to reorganize their services very abruptly to keep providing them. In these employment support organizations, services are notably provided in group counselling. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these organizations have decided to offer online group services while others have not. Based on an online survey (N = 149), this article has two objectives: 1) to investigate whether attitudes toward online counselling have influenced the choice to implement online group employment counselling during the pandemic; and 2) to investigate whether attitudes toward online counselling influence the intention to pursue or not pursue online group employment counselling after the pandemic. Attitudes toward online employment group counselling were assessed using a French adaptation of the Attitudes Toward Online Therapy Questionnaire (Békés & Aafjes-van Doorn, 2020). This questionnaire contains six subscales: facilitating conditions, performance expectation, effort expectancy, social influence, attitudes toward using technology, and anxiety. The results indicate that 97 counsellors (65%) have implemented online group employment counselling during the pandemic and 52 have not. A total of 57 counsellors (38%) intend to pursue online group employment counselling after the pandemic, 48 (32%) are undecided and 43 (30%) do not intend to pursue this practice. Logistic multiple regressions indicated that performance expectancy, attitudes toward using technology, social influence and facilitative conditions, taken together, explained a large proportion of the choice to have implemented online practice during the pandemic and the intention to pursue this practice in the future (47% and 48% respectively).

Sir, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a specialized and structured form of psychotherapy for various psychiatric disorders. It is often problem focused, time bound and is well accepted by the mental health professionals.[1] CBT can be delivered to the client in conventional therapeutic settings (face-to-face interaction) as well as through teleconsultation/telepsychiatry (online CBT). Similarly, it can be carried out through individual sessions or group sessions.[2] The CBT targets erroneous thinking (cognition) and dysfunctional behaviors. It allows the client to understand the psychodynamics behind the distressing experience. It also enables the client to identify the potential domains of intervention.[3] The classical five-area model of CBT explains how an erroneous thought in a particular situation (context) is responsible for distressing emotions, unacceptable physical sensations, and maladaptive behavior. It also helps in convincing the client that any change in the cognition or behavior may result in resolution of the negative experiences. During this current COVID-19 pandemic, there have been reports of panic buying, globally.[456] Although panic buying is not considered as a disorder, it caused significant disruption of social integrity and produced chaos. The explanatory models that describe panic buying highlight the underlying cognitive distortions and maladaptive behaviors,[6] which need to tested empirically. Although panic buying behavior was reported previously, it comes into the focus during this COVID-19 pandemic again. However, it is an under-researched problem and there is a dearth of literature exploring its multiple aspects, such as psychopathology, cultural variation, social impact, and appropriate preventive measures.[5] It can be episodic or persistent over a period of time; can be demonstrated by fewer individuals or a larger group of people; can be focused to a particular product (toilet tissue or onion) or wide ranges of products; can be spotted in adversity (disaster or outbreak) or during the ceremonial eve. When it affects a larger mass, it gets reinforced by the process of social learning, resulting in a challenging situation to address. As it is not a disorder and because it mostly manifests itself in sparse episodes during adversities or emergencies, it is unlikely that the individuals involved in panic buying will seek a psychiatric consultation. Moreover, due to the surrounding situations (social distancing or lockdown), long-term face-to-face consultation should be considered as an expected setting. An adequate awareness, regarding social disruption and remedial measures, could be the primary condition regarding the panic buying during the emergency situation like COVID-19. Individuals who indulge the behavior repeatedly, getting distressed by it, acknowledge their panic buying behavior, and have the willingness to change it can be addressed through CBT. Online group CBT could be a potential option. The governmental or public health authority of the local community, national psychiatric society, and even the supermarkets can arrange or take the lead to arranging it. Cognitive restructuring and behavioral modification strategies may be useful in the process of CBT for panic buying. If a structured therapy session is not possible, then at least adopting the core skills (thought challenging, gathering evidence, and preventing the maladaptive responses) used during CBT may be used for reducing the panic buying behavior. Figure 1 explains the five-area CBT model of panic buying.Figure 1: Five-area cognitive behavior therapy model explaining panic buyingExisting evidence supports that internet-based CBT is having comparable effectiveness such as the face-to-face conventional CBT.[7] Considering the challenges of face-to-face interaction during COVID-19 pandemic, CBT can be delivered through telepsychiatry. Individuals with similar psychopathology can avail the group online CBT intervention. When privacy becomes a concern for some clients, their needs can be addressed through individual online sessions. As an emerging issue, different perspectives of panic buying have been coming out day by day. Here, we have attempted to explain the usefulness of online group CBT for panic buying in COVID-19 context. Panic buying is an ill-defined entity. For example, we do not have simple metrics to quantify this. In addition, during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be difficult to delineate the real worries and exaggerated ones. Empirical research on this subject may be expected once definitions are in place. Before then, a suggestion may be the debate about handling using CBT. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: The current UK based study aimed to explore the experiences of individuals attending online mutual aid groups for alcohol use, while their face-to-face groups were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging evidence suggests that the pandemic and concomitant isolation is associated with elevated mental health problems. Furthermore, historical community-wide crises are associated with increases in alcohol consumption. Due to the paucity of qualitative research on the subjective experience of online mutual aid groups, an interpretative phenomenological analysis was undertaken to explore group members’ experiences. Methods: A sample of six eligible members of online alcohol mutual aid groups were recruited and completed semi-structured interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic between October 2020 and February 2021. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify key themes and evidenced with salient quotations. Results: The superordinate theme developing an understanding of the differences between face-to-face and online group proceedings was identified, which is presented and unpacked with evidential quotes. Conclusion: The study explicates group members’ perceived differences between online and face-to-face experiences. Some participants valued the increased control and anonymity of online groups, while others missed the profound intimate connection that face-to-face groups fostered. It is recommended that future provision is informed by service-user voice to develop an attunement with the subjectivity of mutual aid group members’ experiences.

e23103 Background: Disruptions to health care during the COVID-19 pandemic raises the possibility of delays in treatment for individuals diagnosed with cancer. It is critical that we evaluate the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and time-to-first treatment (TTFT) to address public and patient anxiety, inform recovery efforts, and identify strategies to reduce the cancer system’s vulnerability to future disruptions. Objective: To examine the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and time from cancer diagnosis to first treatment in Manitoba, Canada. Methods: A retrospective, population-based, quasi-experimental study that included individuals diagnosed with breast, colon, rectal, hematologic, lung, or prostate cancer between January 2015 and December 2021 was performed. Interrupted time series analyses with competing risk models were used to compare TTFT for those diagnosed before and after the start of the pandemic. Time-to-first treatment was calculated from diagnosis date to first treatment date (i.e., chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery). Death without treatment was included as a competing risk. Follow-up time was censored at three months post-diagnosis. Sub-hazard ratios (SHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Higher SHR indicates earlier treatment. The delta restricted mean time-to-treatment (D_RMTT) at three months was calculated to complement SHR values, where negative times indicate earlier treatment. Since observation is standard of care for low-risk prostate cancer and androgen deprivation therapy was widely used to temporize intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer patients, analyses were restricted to stage IV prostate cancer. Results: Time-to-first treatment was shorter for individuals diagnosed with breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic period (SHR: 1.40; 95% CI 1.24-1.57; D_RMTT: -6.6 days). Time-to-first treatment was also shorter for individuals diagnosed with colon cancer from April 2020 to June 2021 (SHR: 1.25; 95% CI 1.09-1.42; D_RMTT: -6.5 days) but not from July 2021 to December 2021 (SHR: 0.96; 95% CI 0.81-1.15; D_RMTT: 1.2 days). All other analyses did not demonstrate a statistically significant change in TTFT: rectal cancer (SHR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.83-1.21; D_RMTT: 0.0 days), hematological cancers (SHR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.74-1.01; D_RMTT:3.9 days); lung cancer (SHR: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.97-1.23; D_RMTT: -2.3 days); and stage IV prostate cancer (SHR: 1.15; 95% CI: 0.89-1.49; D_RMTT: -4.1 days). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has not increased the time from diagnosis date to first treatment date for individuals diagnosed with breast, colon, rectal, hematologic, lung, or stage IV prostate cancer in Manitoba, Canada.

PurposeThe Dutch government implemented various public health mandates to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus, such as self-quarantining, social distancing, closure of schools and sport facilities. This also impacted the sport sector and local sport promotion policies. The aim of the research was to get insight into why and how the Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions influenced local sport promotion policy.MethodsAt the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, online questionnaires were sent to local sport managers (LSMs, n = 352, response 26%). These persons are responsible for the development of sport promotion policy within a municipality. In addition, online group interviews (n = 11) were conducted with LSMs and neighborhood sport coaches (NSCs). The latter are important implementers of sport promotion policy activities. A socio-ecological model of local sport promotion in the Netherlands was used as a theoretical framework.ResultsLSMs and NSCs reported that the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions led to (some) changes in local sport promotion policy related to the facilities and public space (hardware), activity providers (orgware) and organized activities (software). In most cases, this did not lead to totally new policy, but there was a shift in focus related to the importance or urgency. For example, the growing importance of facilitating sport in public space and using sport as a means to promote health. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic and additional financial resources (Covid-19 recovery funds) from the national government enhanced the implementation of sport promotion activities, especially for children, adolescents and older adults.ConclusionsThe Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions influenced sport promotion policy (activities) in a positive way at the national level, the local level and within the municipal office. The general awareness of the importance of sport for health helped in legitimizing sport promotion policy and activities at all levels. However, it is questionable whether these changes are structural, especially when additional funding options cease. Considering the increased inequalities in sport and physical activity participation, it is important there remains attention for sport promotion of specific inactive target groups.Funding sourceThis study was funded by ZonMw, The Netherlands, grant number [10430032010016].

COVID-19-related health worries and generalized anxiety symptoms: Higher risks in perinatal women without a pre-existing generalized anxiety diagnosis

Considering the emerging need to face the negative impact of the pandemic on mental health, social support, and access to health services, it became a critical issue to adapt to online group settings and create new group interventions to face the developing distress during this time. The aim of the current study is to investigate the main findings on OPGI conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 until March 2022, with a particular focus on: i) the therapeutic group factors; ii) what kind of OPGI works and for whom; iii) settings and emerging dimensions. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, we performed a systematic review on scientific databases (PsychINFO, PubMed, Web of Science and EBSCO) searching for studies published between March 2020 and March 2022. 'Group intervention' or 'group therapy' or 'group treatment' crossed with 'COVID-19' and synonymous, were used as keywords. Internet based intervention was used as an eligibility criteria during the full-text screening. A total of 1326 articles were identified, of which 24 met the inclusion criteria. Among all studies, with different participants and different orientations, data extracted supported psychological online group interventions as an effective approach to reducing psychological distress and increasing psychological resources in the interpersonal field. Our findings also showed that COVID-19 has led to new needs and issues, that require the investigation of new dimensions for online psychological interventions. Methodological and clinical implications will be discussed through a descriptive table related to setting characteristics. Recommendations are made for future research.

This study aims to explore the behavior of domestic tourists in seeking information to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether there are significant differences with tourist behavior before the pandemic and what are the best strategies so that they can be helpful in tourism actors in creating and developing digital marketing strategies based on the latest information technology phenomena. This study uses a qualitative paradigm. Data collection techniques used in the study were observation, in-depth interviews, literature study, and documentation. The results of this exploratory research can then be used as a basis for the following research stage, namely descriptive analysis. Online focus group discussions and surveys were conducted to achieve the objectives of this research. Tourist behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic has changed, that tourists will always look for travel information using window shopping or online search through social media and ask personal questions (individuals) in travelling to a tourist destination. The right strategy for tourism actors in developing sustainable digital marketing includes building personal trust to tourists, implementing innovation strategies that involve guests, and mutual integration and collaboration, which are the main keys to the success of tourism actors in creating or developing sustainable digital marketing. The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented and ongoing crisis for the global tourism industry. The key to the recovery of the worldwide tourism industry will be to encourage tourism activities both domestically and internationally.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people worldwide and is responsible for about 52,000 deaths annually in children and adolescents aged 5-19years. Familial, social, psychological, and behavioral factors play important roles in suicide risk. As traumatic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic may contribute to suicidal behaviors in young people, there is a need to understand the current status of suicide in adolescents, including its epidemiology, associated factors, the influence of the pandemic, and management initiatives. We investigated global and regional suicide mortality rates among children and adolescents aged 5-19years using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. The suicide mortality rates from 1990 to 2019 were examined in 204 countries and territories across six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. Additionally, we utilized electronic databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus, and employed various combinations of terms such as "suicide", "adolescents", "youth", "children", "risk factors", "COVID-19 pandemic", "prevention", and "intervention" to provide a narrative review on suicide within the pediatric population in the post-pandemic era. Despite the decreasing trend in the global suicide mortality rate from 1990 to 2019, it remains high. The mortality rates from suicide by firearms or any other specified means were both greater in males. Additionally, Southeast Asia had the highest suicide rate among the six WHO regions. The COVID-19 pandemic seems to contribute to suicide risk in young people; thus, there is still a strong need to revisit appropriate management for suicidal children and adolescents during the pandemic. The current narrative review integrates up-to-date knowledge on suicide epidemiology and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, risk factors, and intervention strategies. Although numerous studies have characterized trends in suicide among young people during the pre-pandemic era, further studies are required to investigate suicide during the pandemic and new strategies for suicide prevention in the post-pandemic era. It is necessary to identify effective prevention strategies targeting young people, particularly those at high risk, and successful treatment for individuals already manifesting suicidal behaviors. Care for suicidal children and adolescents should be improved with parental, school, community, and clinical involvement.

ImportanceFederal and state governments implemented temporary strategies for providing access to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates hope many of these policies become permanent because of their potential to expand access to care.ObjectiveTo consider the multitude of ways access to and utilization of treatment for individuals with OUD might have been expanded by state and federal policy so researchers can do a better job evaluating the effectiveness of specific policy approaches, which will depend on the interaction with other state policies.Evidence ReviewWe summarize state-level policy data reported by government and nonprofit agencies that track health care regulations, specifically the Kaiser Family Foundation, Federation of State Medical Boards, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the National Safety Council. Data were collected by these sources from September 2020 through January 2021. We examine heterogeneity in policy elements adopted across states during the COVID-19 pandemic in 4 key areas: telehealth, privacy, licensing, and medication for opioid use disorder. The analysis was conducted from March 2020 through January 2021.FindingsThis cross-sectional study found that federal and state governments have taken important steps to ensure OUD treatment availability during the COVID-19 pandemic, but few states are comprehensive in their approach. Although all states and Washington, DC have adopted at least 1 telehealth policy, only 17 states have adopted telehealth policies that improve access to OUD treatment for new patients. Furthermore, only 9 states relaxed privacy laws, which influence the ability to use particular technology for telehealth visits. Similarly, all states have adopted at least 1 policy related to health care professional licensing permissions, but only 35 expanded the scope of practice laws for both physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Forty-four states expanded access to initiation and delivery of medication for OUD treatment. Together, no state has implemented all of these policies to comprehensively expand access to OUD treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusions and RelevanceWith considerable policy changes potentially affecting access to treatment and treatment retention for patients with OUD during the pandemic, evaluations must account for the variation in state approaches in related policy areas because the interactions between policies may limit the potential effectiveness of any single policy approach.