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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Psychological Therapy and Psychosomatics
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1500210

Outpatient group therapy for Post-COVID patients -a naturalistic feasibility study of a face-to-face and online group concept Submission to: Frontiers in Psychiatry -Section Psychological Therapy and Psychosomatics Brief Research Report

Provisionally accepted
Verena Zimmermann-Schlegel Verena Zimmermann-Schlegel 1*Nadine Gronewold Nadine Gronewold 2,3Sandra Stengel Sandra Stengel 4Mechthild Hartmann Mechthild Hartmann 1Uta Merle Uta Merle 5Hans-Christoph Friederich Hans-Christoph Friederich 1,6Beate Ditzen Beate Ditzen 2Jonas Tesarz Jonas Tesarz 1,6,7
  • 1 Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
  • 2 Institute of Medical Psychology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • 3 Institute of Occupational Medicine, Baden, Switzerland
  • 4 Department of General Medicine and Health Services Research, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • 5 Department of Gastroenterology and Infectiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
  • 6 DZPG - German Centre for Mental Health – Partner Site Heidelberg/ Mannheim/ Ulm, Heidelberg, Germany
  • 7 Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background A significant number of individuals diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 continue to suffer from persistent symptoms, a condition commonly referred to as Post-COVID syndrome (PCS). The most common manifestations are fatigue, post-exertional malaise, respiratory problems and cognitive deficits. Due to the lack of a causal treatment, therapeutic options remain symptom oriented. The aim of this study was to develop a low-threshold group therapy concept for patients with PCS and to test its feasibility in face-to-face and online format. Method An interprofessionally oriented group therapy concept for patients with PCS was developed and a treatment manual was established. The concept comprises eight weekly sessions of 90 minutes each, during which the management of fatigue, stress intolerance and other symptoms are addressed and coping strategies are discussed and developed. The group therapy was conducted alternating in face-to-face and online format and evaluated via questionnaires. Results A total of 57 patients, most of them with severe limitations due to PCS, took part in the groups (n=36 online; n=21 face-to-face). The group offer was requested and accepted in both the face-to-face and online formats, and was predominantly evaluated as beneficial. Of particularly value was the opportunity to engage with peers who share similar experiences. Conclusion The interprofessional, integrative psychotherapeutic/psychoeducational group therapyis safe, accepted and is predominantly rated as helpful by participants. It should be carried out in online formats for patients with PCS who are limited in mobility. Controlled studies are necessary to further evaluate the proposed concept and its integration into the care landscape.

    Keywords: Online therapies, post-COVID, Group therapies, feasibility, Fatigue, coping

    Received: 22 Sep 2024; Accepted: 18 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zimmermann-Schlegel, Gronewold, Stengel, Hartmann, Merle, Friederich, Ditzen and Tesarz. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Verena Zimmermann-Schlegel, Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.