Feasibility of a synchronous, online, group psychological intervention in nonclinical settings

Abstract

Introduction: it was considered appropriate to design psychological interventions in non-clinical contexts (community, academic-clinical and academic-non-clinical), in order to obtain data on the feasibility, acceptance and satisfaction with the Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (PU) in group, online, synchronous format. Objective: to explore the feasibility, acceptance and satisfaction of participants regarding a psychological intervention based on the application of the synchronous online group PU in various non-clinical contexts. Method: study with a quantitative, exploratory-descriptive, and interactive approach, with a quasi-experimental, pre-post test design for paired samples. The incidental sample of each of the three studies carried out consisted of a total of 9 women with a diagnosis of breast cancer (current or in remission), 9 UCA students who requested psychological care from the SAP at the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year, and 13 students from the Aula Universitaria de Mayores of the UCA. Instruments: to assess feasibility we used the Satisfaction / Opinion Scale on Treatment (Spanish adaptation by Borkovec & Nau), an ad hoc Personal Assessment Survey on various aspects of the psychological intervention (Schedule, Themes, Modality of the sessions, Shared material and Therapist) which included an open question “Suggestions, comments or opinion”. Results: the preliminary results obtained are encouraging and show the feasibility of the PU in the format and contexts applied.

Keywords

• unified transdiagnostic protocol
• feasibility
• nonclinical settings
• telepsychology
• group therapy