Facilitator lessons from online psychoeducational group for relational well-being in India during COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of individuals, along with their couple and familial relationships, necessitating an effective response. Teletherapy offers an option to address these relationship concerns amidst pandemic-specific mobility restriction. Against this setting, Sukoon, a project of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India, initiated a five-session online psychoeducational group series on relational wellbeing. This paper explores facilitator's reflections and learnings based on session documentation and facilitator notes. Preparing well and selecting participants carefully for online psychoeducational groups was critical to success. Effectiveness was enhanced by flexibly adapting the therapy process (didactic and interactive elements) to fit online delivery and the cultural context. Identifying the potential of online psychoeducational groups for relational wellbeing could make it a valuable addition to the COVID-19 pandemic mental health response toolkit. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Effective preparation and careful selection of group members is key to the success of therapist facilitated online psychoeducational groups.Psychoeducational groups comprising didactic and interactive elements are more suitable for effective online group processes.Use of co-facilitators managing various channels of communication (audio, chat) is important. Group facilitators need to be cognisant of challenges of online medium and address them in an ongoing manner.

A Postcard From Italy: Challenges and Psychosocial Resources of Partners Living With and Without a Chronic Disease During COVID-19 Epidemic.

The new Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The sudden outbreak of this new virus and the measure of lockdown adopted to contain the epidemic have profoundly changed the lifestyles of the Italian population, with an impact on people's quality of life and on their social relationships. In particular, due to forced and prolonged cohabitation, couples may be subject to specific stressors during the epidemic. In addition, living with a chronic health condition may add specific challenges to the ones posed by the epidemic itself. The present cross-sectional study aimed to provide a picture of the challenges as well as the resources for both individual and relational well-being of Italian individuals in a couple relationship (N = 1921), with a specific attention to the comparison between individuals living with and without a chronic disease. Results showed that people with a chronic disease had lower psychological well-being and more fears and worries about the COVID-19. People with a chronic disease perceived fewer resources than healthy people. Moreover, the challenges are shown to be associated with less psychological well-being and high pessimism about the future. Instead individual, relational, and social resources play a protective role during the pandemic for both healthy and chronically ill people.