Adherence to online psychotherapy during the COVID-19: a scoping review / Adesão à psicoterapia on-line durante a COVID-19: uma revisão de escopo / Adherencia a la psicoterapia online durante el COVID-19: una revisión del alcance

Evidence suggests that changes in online psychotherapy adherence factors occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study aimed to review the perception of patients and psychotherapists regarding factors associated with adherence to online psychotherapy during the pandemic. Thus, 18 articles remained for analysis after searches in five databases and 25 factors associated with adherence to online psychotherapy were identified. The main factors for psychotherapists were confidence in professional skills and connection stability. For the patients, basic informatics skills and finding an adequate setting to participate in sessions. Furthermore, the factors fear of contagion, tiredness and the impossibility of face-to-face meetings emerged during the pandemic. Modifications of factors associated with pre-pandemic adherence were identified and strategies to overcome barriers related to online sessions were presented and discussed. The pandemic has increased adherence to online psychotherapy, although not everyone intends to follow this modality in the post-pandemic. (AU)

Evidências sugerem que ocorreram modificações nos fatores de adesão a psicoterapia online durante a pandemia de COVID-19. Assim, este estudo objetivou revisar a percepção dos pacientes e psicoterapeutas sobre fatores associados a adesão à psicoterapia online durante a pandemia. Restaram 18 artigos para análise após as buscas em cinco bases de dados. Foram identificados 25 fatores associados a adesão a psicoterapia on-line. Para os psicoterapeutas, os principais fatores foram a confiança nas habilidades profissionais e estabilidade da conexão. Para os pacientes, foram o conhecimento básico de informática e encontrar setting adequado para participar das sessões. Ademais, os fatores medo do contágio, cansaço e a impossibilidade de reuniões presenciais surgiram durante a pandemia. Modificações em fatores associados a adesão pré-pandemia foram identificadas e estratégias para contornar barreiras relacionadas aos atendimentos on-line foram apresentadas e discutidas. A pandemia aumentou a adesão a psicoterapia on-line, mas nem todos pretendem seguir nessa modalidade no pós-pandemia. (AU)

Evidencias sugieren que se produjeron cambios en los factores de adherencia a la psicoterapia en línea durante la pandemia del COVID-19. Por lo tanto, este estudio busca revisar las percepciones de pacientes y psicoterapeutas sobre los factores asociados a la adherencia a la psicoterapia en línea durante la pandemia. Se analizaron 18 artículos seleccionados tras una búsqueda en cinco bases de datos. Se identificaron 25 factores de la adherencia a la psicoterapia en línea. Para los psicoterapeutas, los principales factores fueron la confianza en las competencias profesionales y la estabilidad de la conexión. Ya para los pacientes, los factores básicos fueron las habilidades informáticas básicas y la búsqueda del entorno adecuado para participar en las sesiones. Además, durante la pandemia surgieron los factores miedo al contagio, cansancio y la imposibilidad de encuentros físicos. Se identificaron modificaciones en los factores asociados a adherencia prepandémica y se presentaron y discutieron estrategias para superar las barreras relacionadas con las sesiones en línea. La pandemia aumentó la adhesión a la psicoterapia en línea, aunque no todos tengan la intención de seguir esta modalidad en la pospandemia. (AU)

Intersession experiences and internalized representations of psychotherapy: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Between-session processes outside the therapy room and beyond the direct interaction between a therapist and client can play an important role in the psychotherapeutic process and outcome. These processes are called intersession experiences and can be seen as internalized mental representations of therapy and/or therapists. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, different digital forms of treatment have successfully been implemented and could be relevant even after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, patients' internalized mental representations may become highly relevant in the future. RATIONALE: The aim of this study was to conceptually delineate the current state of research on internalized mental representations of therapy or therapists in the period between sessions and to provide an overview of the evidence. In addition, we aimed to identify research gaps to provide a baseline for further research. METHODS: For this purpose, we conducted a scoping review to obtain a comprehensive overview of the evidence and to identify the relevant research gaps. We searched PsycArticles, Medline, PsycINFO, and PSYNDEX for publications on internalized mental representations. RESULTS: The final sample comprised 30 publications published from 1989 to 2021. Based on the individual study results, it can be assumed that intersession experiences are of central importance for psychotherapeutic treatment. However, the scoping review showed that there was a large gap in knowledge in the research of intersession experiences. All previous research was barely comparable, and therefore, a generalized statement is not possible. CONCLUSION: Future research should provide sufficient information about relevant aspects, such as the setting, therapists, and patients, as these factors are likely to have a significant impact on the outcome. Furthermore, better measurements for the assessment of these processes should be developed.

You are the most valuable reagent in the lab: mental health before and during the pandemic.

No one maps out their tenure as a postdoc anticipating a life-altering tragedy. But mental health crises of all kinds affect academic trainees and staff at similar or higher levels than the general public. While the mental health resources available to trainees are often set by healthcare providers, all levels of university leadership can work to remove material and immaterial obstacles that render such resources out of reach. I describe how access to care via telemedicine helped me following a loss in my family.

Archetypes of the pandemic.

This paper attempts to read the psychological and emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic through the archetypal images contained in patients' dreams. In these dreams, symbols related to the power of nature and to extreme danger are paired with feelings of detachment that seem to point to a traumatic dissociation, due to the archetypal experience that erupts in familiar surroundings. Through the humanization of the ineffable experience, dissociation, which in the beginning of the pandemic showed in high levels of anxiety, panic attacks and depersonalization, can be transformed into the overview needed for the search for meaning. The container for this process of transformation is the analyst, the real, virtual or imagined one, and his or her ability to relate and feel.

Cet article propose une lecture de l'impact psychologique et émotionnel de la pandémie de COVID-19 à travers les images archétypales contenues dans les rêves des patients. Dans ces rêves, des symboles en lien avec la puissance de la nature et le danger extrême sont accompagnés de sentiments de détachement qui semblent indiquer une dissociation traumatique, due à l'expérience archétypale qui fait irruption dans des lieux familiers. Par l'humanisation de cette expérience ineffable, la dissociation - qui se montrait au début de la pandémie par de hauts niveaux d'anxiété, des attaques de panique et de la dépersonnalisation - peut se transformer en capacité à avoir une vue d'ensemble, qui est nécessaire à la quête de sens. Le contenant pour ce processus de transformation est l'analyste, réel, virtuel ou imaginé, et sa capacité à être en lien et à ressentir.

El presente trabajo intenta dar cuenta del impacto emocional y psicológico de la pandemia del COVID-19 a través de las imágenes arquetípicas contenidas en los sueños de los pacientes. En estos sueños, símbolos relacionados al poder de la naturaleza y al peligro extremo se combinan con sentimientos de desapego que parecieran indicar una disociación traumática, debido a la experiencia arquetípica que irrumpe en un contexto familiar. A través de la humanización de la experiencia de lo inefable, la disociación, que en el comienzo de la pandemia se expresó a través de altos grados de ansiedad, ataques de pánico y despersonalización, puede ser transformada en la necesidad de una nueva perspectiva en la búsqueda de sentido. El contenedor para este proceso de transformación es el o la analista, real, virtual o imaginado/a, y su habilidad para relacionarse o sentir.

"Recovering With Nature": A Review of Ecotherapy and Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Connection with nature has been considered beneficial for psychological well-being since times of evolution. Differences in Indian and Western thoughts have viewed natural elements in different lights, varying between eco-centrism to anthropocentrism. The intrusion of technology and digitalized lives as a result of globalization has decreased connectedness with nature. Ecotherapy is a novel form of psychotherapeutic technique based on explicit environmental or ecological interventions. Social and therapeutic horticulture, animal-assisted interventions, care farming, green exercise, environmental conservation and wilderness therapy are some of the ecosystem-based approaches used in mental health. Based on the principles of positive and client-centered psychology, ecotherapy-related techniques have been shown to be effective in medical disorders like hypertension, obesity, post-surgical recovery and psychosocial conditions like depression, stress reduction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD) and adjustment disorders. The principles of ecotherapy have been integrated into other psychotherapeutic techniques for better efficacy. This review attempts provides an overview of techniques, applications and challenges related to ecotherapy in psychology. The implications of its use during the ongoing Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, social isolation and consequent psychosocial aftermath are also discussed.