Tele-Psychological Group Intervention to Prevent Health During Lock Down. A Preliminary Study

Abstract

The unprecedented severity and magnitude of the pandemic spread of the COVID-19 virus meant that the entire Spanish population was locked down in their respective homes. From the Psychological and Psycho-pedagogical Care Service of the University of Cadiz, tele-psychology group program for health prevention was implemented for two groups considered at risk in the context of pandemic: students of the Elderly Classroom of the UCA and women who presented a diagnosis of breast cancer (current or in remission). The general objectives of the program were: To promote the well-being of elderly people who belong to the community of the University of Cadiz and of members of an association of women with a breast cancer diagnosis during lockdown and to evaluate the clinical utility of a tele-psychology group health prevention program. The research responded to a quantitative, exploratory-descriptive and interactive methodology, with a quasi-experimental design pre posttest ex post facto. Eleven people with an average age of 60.7 years participated (DT=7.4; range of 45 to 69). The instruments used were the Positive Emotions Scale, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Pemberton Happiness Index and an ad hoc sociodemographic data sheet. After the intervention, statistically significant changes were observed in all the variables studied: positive emotions (Z =-1.962; p< 0.05), psychological discomfort (Z=-2.180; p < 0.007), psychological well-being (Z=-2.030; p<0.02) and subjective happiness (Z = -2.846; p < 0.04). The findings allow us to conclude that participating in the program was of clinical utility and helped to protect the participants from the harmful impact associated with the lockdown during the months of April to May of the year 2020 in Spain

Keywords

• prevención de la salud
• confinamiento
• tele-psicología
• covid-19