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Jesser A, Steinböck A, Pammer B, Ghorab T, Weber M, Schaffler Y, Probst T, Felnhofer A, Kothgassner OD, Pieh C, Humer E. Burdens and resources of Austrian clinical psychologists: results of a qualitative study two years into the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:205. [PMID: 38615038 PMCID: PMC11016222 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01714-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic increased the mental health burden in the general population, enhancing the demands placed on mental healthcare professionals. METHODS This study aimed to assess the burdens and resources of clinical psychologists that emerged since the beginning of the pandemic. N = 172 Austrian clinical psychologists participated in a cross-sectional online survey between April and May 2022. The burdens and the sources of support that emerged during the pandemic were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS Mental health-related issues were identified as the greatest burden, followed by work-related themes and restrictions imposed by the government to combat the spreading of the virus. The most important resources mentioned by the clinical psychologists were social contacts and recreational activities. Practising mindfulness and focusing on inner processes and work-related aspects were further important resources mentioned. CONCLUSION Overall, it seems that clinical psychologists have a high awareness of mental health-related problems related to the pandemic and use adaptive coping strategies to deal with them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Jesser
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, 3500, Austria
- Faculty of Psychotherapy Science, Sigmund Freud University Vienna, Vienna, 1020, Austria
| | - Agnes Steinböck
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, 3500, Austria
| | - Barbara Pammer
- Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist, Graz, Austria
| | - Tiam Ghorab
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, 3500, Austria
| | - Magdalena Weber
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, 3500, Austria
| | - Yvonne Schaffler
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, 3500, Austria
| | - Thomas Probst
- Division of Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
| | - Anna Felnhofer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergology and Endocrinology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Oswald D Kothgassner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Pieh
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, 3500, Austria
| | - Elke Humer
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, 3500, Austria.
- Faculty of Psychotherapy Science, Sigmund Freud University Vienna, Vienna, 1020, Austria.
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Humer E, Pammer B, Schaffler Y, Kothgassner OD, Felnhofer A, Jesser A, Pieh C, Probst T. Comparison of mental health indicators in clinical psychologists with the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5050. [PMID: 36977787 PMCID: PMC10043835 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32316-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Mental healthcare professionals face diverse challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may augment their risk of experiencing adverse mental health outcomes themselves. We aimed to compare depressive, anxiety, insomnia, and stress symptoms in Austrian clinical psychologists during the COVID-19 pandemic with the Austrian general population. A total of N = 172 Austrian clinical psychologists (91.9% women; mean age: 44.90 ± 7.97 years) participated in an online survey in spring 2022. A representative sample (N = 1011) of the Austrian general population was surveyed simultaneously. Symptoms of depression (PHQ-2), anxiety (GAD-2), insomnia (ISI-2), and stress (PSS-10) were assessed. Differences in the prevalence of clinically relevant symptoms were analyzed using univariate (Chi-squared tests) and multivariable (binary logistic regression including covariates age and gender) analyses. Clinical psychologists showed lower adjusted odds for exceeding the cut-offs for clinically relevant depression (aOR 0.37), anxiety (aOR 0.50), and moderate to high stress levels (aOR 0.31) compared to the general population (p < 0.01). No difference was observed for insomnia (aOR 0.92; p = 0.79). In conclusion, clinical psychologists experience better mental health than the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies are needed to analyze the underlying reasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Humer
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, Austria.
| | - Barbara Pammer
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, Austria
| | - Yvonne Schaffler
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, Austria
| | - Oswald D Kothgassner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Felnhofer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergology and Endocrinology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Jesser
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, Austria
| | - Christoph Pieh
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, Austria
| | - Thomas Probst
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, Austria
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Kaltschik S, Pieh C, Dale R, Probst T, Pammer B, Humer E. Assessment of the Long-Term Mental Health Effects on Austrian Students after COVID-19 Restrictions. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph192013110. [PMID: 36293693 PMCID: PMC9603217 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The mental health of adolescents has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the mental health of Austrian adolescents in spring 2022, a time during which COVID-19-related restrictions had been significantly lifted. A total of N = 616 students aged between 14 and 20 participated in a cross-sectional survey between April and May 2022 (t2). The prevalence of clinically relevant symptoms was 73% among girls and 44% among boys for depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 11), 57% in girls and 35% in boys for anxiety (GAD-7 score ≥ 11), 34% in girls and 21% in boys for sleeping problems (ISI score ≥ 15), and 95% in girls and 81% in boys for experiencing at least moderate stress (PSS-10 score ≥ 14). Frequent suicidal ideations were reported by 24% of girls and 12% of boys. These results were compared with the results from a cross-sectional study from February 2021 (t1). To account for differences in covariates between samples, data were propensity score matched before the analysis. Compared with t1, we found an increase among girls regarding clinically relevant symptoms of depression (OR = 1.78), anxiety (OR = 1.34), insomnia (OR = 1.63), and suicidal ideations (OR = 1.96; p < 0.05 for all measures). Significant correlations were found between smartphone use and mental health and physical activity and mental health for both genders. The results of this study indicated that even during the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of adolescents in Austria is still severely impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Kaltschik
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
| | - Christoph Pieh
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
| | - Rachel Dale
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
| | - Thomas Probst
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
| | | | - Elke Humer
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
- Correspondence:
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