MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DURING THE PANDEMIC: THE EXPERIENCES OF LITHUANIAN PSYCHOLOGISTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17770/sie2021vol7.6333Keywords:
COVID-19, disability, Lithuania, pandemic, psychological help, psychologistsAbstract
With the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions, many countries face an unprecedented mental health crisis, which is being addressed in various ways, including the use of remote mental health services. Lithuania faced two quarantines: in March-June of 2020 and starting November 2020 up to Spring of 2021. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of Lithuanian psychologists providing mental health services during the pandemic. Using the qualitative content analysis method, the following categories were made: from shock to discovery of new opportunities (differences in two lockdowns, better accessibility of services, help-seeking during the pandemic, and the importance of self-care) and contextual challenges (confidentiality, computer literacy, and blurred home/work boundaries). Implications for addressing psychological service issues are discussed, with an emphasis on self-care, setting boundaries, and finding new ways to enhance mental health via mediated communication as well as to reach out to vulnerable groups.
Downloads
References
Dragomir, L.-M. (2020). The Balance between Personal and Professional Life in the “Work from Home” Era. Annals of the Constantin Brancusi University of Targu Jiu-Letters & Social Sciences Series, 2, 41-48. https://doi.org/10.1080/25741292.2020.1863560
Fiorillo, A., & Gorwood, P. (2020). The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and implications for clinical practice. European Psychiatry: the Journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists, 63(1), e32. https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.35
Giallonardo, V., Sampogna, G., Del Vecchio, V., Luciano, M., Albert, U., Carmassi, C., Carrà, G., Cirulli, F., … & Fiorillo, A. (2020). The Impact of Quarantine and Physical Distancing Following COVID-19 on Mental Health: Study Protocol of a Multicentric Italian Population Trial. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 533. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00533
Graneheim, U., Lindgren, B. M., & Lundman, B. (2017). Methodological Challenges in Qualitative Content Analysis: A Discussion Paper. Nurse Education Today, 56, 29-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2017.06.002
Jacques-Aviñó, C., López-Jiménez, T., Medina-Perucha, L., De Bont, J., Gonçalves, A. Q., Duarte-Salles, T., & Berenguera, A. (2020). Gender-based approach on the social impact and mental health in Spain during COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 10(11), e044617. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044617
Li, Z., Ge, J., Yang, M., Feng, J., Qiao, M., Jiang, R., ... & Yang, C. (2020). Vicarious traumatization in the general public, members, and non-members of medical teams aiding in COVID-19 control. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 88, 916-919.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.03.007
Manwell, L. A., Barbic, S. P., Roberts, K., Durisko, Z., Lee, C., Ware, E., & McKenzie, K. (2015). What is mental health? Evidence towards a new definition from a mixed methods multidisciplinary international survey. BMJ open, 5(6). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007079
Morganstein, J. C., & Ursano, R. J. (2020). Ecological disasters and mental health: causes, consequences, and interventions. Frontiers in Psychiatry 11(1). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00001
Palumbo, R. (2020). Let me go to the office! An investigation into the side effects of working from home on work-life balance. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 33(6/7), 771-790. https://doi-org.libproxy.lcc.lt/10.1108/IJPSM-06-2020-0150
Proto, E., & Quintana-Domeque, C. (2021). COVID-19 and mental health deterioration by ethnicity and gender in the UK, PLoS One, 16(1), e0244419. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244419
Rajkumar, R. P. (2020). COVID-19 and mental health: A review of the existing literature. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 52, 102066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102066
Rubin, G.J., & Wessely, S. (2020). The psychological effects of quarantining a city. BMJ, 368, m313. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m313
Savarese, G., Curcio, L., D'Elia, D., Fasano, O., & Pecoraro, N. (2020). Online University counselling services and psychological problems among Italian students in lockdown due to Covid-19. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 8(4), 440. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8040440
Situmorang, D. D. B. (2020). Online/cyber counseling services in the COVID-19 outbreak: Are they really new? The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 74(3), 166-174. http://doi.org/10.1177/1542305020948170
WHO. (2020). WHO Survey COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news/item/05-10-2020-covid-19-disrupting-mental-health-services-in-most-countries-who-survey
Wu, K. K., Chan, S. K., & Ma, T. M. (2005). Posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression in survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Journal of Traumatic Stress: Official Publication of The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, 18(1), 39-42. http://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20004
Yang, H., & Ma, J. (2020). How an epidemic outbreak impacts happiness: Factors that worsen (vs. protect) emotional well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. Psychiatry research, 289, 113045. https://doi-org.libproxy.lcc.lt/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113045
Young, E. (2021). Challenging boundaries of work space. The Psychologist, 18–19. Retrieved from https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-34/january-2021/challenging-boundaries-work-space
Zhang, Y., & Ma, Z. F. (2020). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and quality of life among local residents in Liaoning Province, China: A cross-sectional study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(7), 2381. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072381
