Abstract
Psychotherapists around the world are facing an unprecedented situation with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). To combat the rapid spread of the virus, direct contact with others has to be avoided when possible. Therefore, remote psychotherapy provides a valuable option to continue mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study investigated the fear of psychotherapists to become infected with COVID-19 during psychotherapy in personal contact and assessed how the provision of psychotherapy changed due to the COVID-19 situation and whether there were differences with regard to country and gender. Psychotherapists from three European countries: Czech Republic (CZ, n = 112), Germany (DE, n = 130) and Slovakia (SK, n = 96), with on average 77.8% female participants, completed an online survey. Participants rated the fear of COVID-19 infection during face-to-face psychotherapy and reported the number of patients treated on average per week (in personal contact, via telephone, via internet) during the COVID-19 situation as well as (retrospectively) in the months before. Fear of COVID-19 infection was highest in SK and lowest in DE (p < 0.001) and was higher in female compared to male psychotherapists (p = 0.021). In all countries, the number of patients treated on average per week in personal contact decreased (p < 0.001) and remote psychotherapies increased (p < 0.001), with more patients being treated via internet than via telephone during the COVID-19 situation (p < 0.001). Furthermore, female psychotherapists treated less patients in personal contact (p = 0.036), while they treated more patients via telephone than their male colleagues (p = 0.015). Overall, the total number of patients treated did not differ during COVID-19 from the months before (p = 0.133) and psychotherapy in personal contact remained the most common treatment modality. Results imply that the supply of mental health care could be maintained during COVID-19 and that changes in the provision of psychotherapy vary among countries and gender.
Highlights
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) causes changes in the provision of mental health care in many countries [1]
This study revealed that psychotherapists were confronted with major changes in the showed a stronger decrease in the number of patients treated in personal contact, while they provided way psychotherapy was provided, the number of patients treated could be maintained during the COVID-19 situation when all three countries (CZ, DE, SK) were analyzed together
While psychotherapy in personal contact was reduced, the provision of psychotherapy via internet increased during the COVID-19 situation in all participating countries
Summary
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) causes changes in the provision of mental health care in many countries [1]. In an attempt to reduce the risk of infections, many psychotherapists reduce or even quit the provision of face-to-face psychotherapy and simultaneously try to replace psychotherapy in personal contact with remote psychotherapies to provide mental health care at a safe distance [2,3,4]. There is a high need for timely mental health care during and after the COVID-19 pandemic [2]. The obvious solution to providing mental health care during a pandemic is to change the route of delivery and to implement psychotherapy remotely via telephone or internet [1,6,7]
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