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.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, public health, psychotherapy, fear of infection, remote psychotherapy, 【초록키워드】 Treatment, mental health, COVID-19 pandemic, Gender, novel coronavirus disease, virus, Spread, COVID-19 infection, Germany, outbreak, male, female, Patient, fear, Care, Contact, Czech Republic, female participants, average, psychotherapist, participant, Slovakia, COVID-19 situation, European, country, lowest, Result, highest, not differ, reported, investigated, remained, treated, provide, less, changes in, changed, infected with COVID-19, patients treated, 【제목키워드】 psychotherapist,