Changes in Provision of Psychotherapy in the Early Weeks of the COVID-19 Lockdown in Austria
subject: Public health, covid-19, psychotherapy
description: Reducing personal contacts is a central measure against the spreading of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This troubles mental health, but also mental health care as treatments usually take place in personal contact and switching to remote treatments might be necessary in times of COVID-19. The present study investigated the question how the provision of psychotherapy changed in the early weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown in Austria and whether there were differences between the four therapeutic orientations eligible in Austria (psychodynamic, humanistic, systemic, behavioral). Psychotherapists (N = 1547) completed an online survey. They entered their number of patients treated on average per week (in personal contact, via telephone, via Internet) in the early weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown in Austria as well as (retrospectively) in the months before. The number of patients treated on average per week in personal contact decreased (on average 81%; p
creator: Thomas Probst, Christoph Pieh, Peter Stippl
source: Epidemiology and Health
publisher: Korean Society of Epidemiology
date: 2020
coverage: Medicine