Department for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria.
Institut für Soziale Arbeit, FH Joanneum University of Applied Science, 8020 Graz, Austria.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 27;18(17):9046. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18179046.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought massive changes in the provision of psychotherapy. To avoid or reduce the risk of infection, many therapists switched from face-to-face sessions in personal contact to remote psychotherapy, i.e., psychotherapy delivered by telephone or videoconferencing. This study examined the attitudes toward and practice of remote psychotherapy among Austrian therapists with a psychodynamic orientation at the onset of the pandemic as well as changes in the therapeutic process that were experienced by the therapists due to switching to a remote setting. A total of 161 therapists with psychodynamic orientation took part in an online survey. The results show that attitudes toward remote psychotherapy changed positively in psychodynamically orientated therapists and most are willing to switch to remote settings, if necessary. However, many therapists reported negative effects of remote psychotherapy and prefer seeing their patients in-person. The strongest changes were experienced with regard to transference/countertransference, the therapeutic process and the intensity of session. The analysis further revealed an overall decrease in the number of patients treated, indicating an undersupply of psychotherapy, at least during the first wave of COVID-19 infection in Austria. In summary, the experience during the first COVID-19 lockdown has led to an increase in remote psychotherapy and more openness toward these treatment modalities among psychodynamically oriented therapists. However, in-person therapy will remain the first choice for most therapists.
COVID-19 大流行给心理治疗的提供方式带来了巨大变化。为了避免或降低感染风险，许多治疗师将面对面的个人接触治疗转变为远程心理治疗，即通过电话或视频会议进行的心理治疗。本研究在大流行开始时，调查了具有动力取向的奥地利治疗师对远程心理治疗的态度和实践，以及由于转向远程环境而治疗师在治疗过程中经历的变化。共有 161 名具有动力取向的治疗师参加了在线调查。结果表明，具有动力取向的治疗师对远程心理治疗的态度发生了积极变化，大多数人愿意在必要时转向远程环境。然而，许多治疗师报告了远程心理治疗的负面影响，更喜欢与患者面对面交流。变化最大的是移情/反移情、治疗过程和治疗强度。分析还表明，接受治疗的患者数量总体减少，表明心理治疗的供应不足，至少在奥地利 COVID-19 感染的第一波中是这样。总之，在第一次 COVID-19 封锁期间的经验导致远程心理治疗的增加，以及具有动力取向的治疗师对这些治疗方式的更多开放态度。然而，大多数治疗师仍将面对面治疗作为首选。
