Abstract
The constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic led health services to reorganize their operation, adjusting to the online modality. The sudden and unprepared technical transition has imposed additional challenges for both users and professionals. To improve care strategies, it is essential to give voice to services users, so that they can narrate their experiences and express their facilities and difficulties with this transition. This study aims to investigate how main family caregivers of people with eating disorders experienced the transition of the support group to the remote modality and to identify perceived advantages and disadvantages in this model. This is a clinical-qualitative, exploratory study carried out in a specialized care service of a tertiary hospital. The investigated setting was the psychological support group open to family members, which since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has been offered online. Five mothers and three fathers who attended 13 consecutive group sessions participated in the study. Individual interviews were carried out with the Critical Incident Technique shortly after the end of each group meeting with all members, totaling 26 audio-recorded interviews. Data were subjected to thematic analysis. Transition was experienced as a valid resource to maintain the group active in times of a severe health crisis. As advantages of the remote modality were mentioned: continuity of care, greater accessibility, and ease in relation to the logistics of participation. As limitations of the online format were highlighted: not everyone has a good-quality connection to the internet, and difficulty in handling the digital technology. Despite the challenges imposed by the sudden shift to the online modality, from the service users’ perspective the adaptation efforts were successful, enabling continuity of mental health care.
Keywords:
Support Groups; Parents; Caregivers; Eating Disorders; COVID-19