Emotional support for healthcare professionals children: virtual intervention during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The SARS-CoV2 pandemic context and sanitary confinement measures have exposed the population to anxiety and depressive symptoms and became a permanent mark in children’s psychosocial and affective development. This effect was certainly evident in healthcare professional’s children that saw their parents being called to the battlefield front line against an invisible enemy and at the same time facing the media avalanche propelling fear and insecurity. Material and Methods: This state of restlessness and vulnerability promoted the development of therapeutic mindfulness groups for children or children and parents (healthcare professional related), from a Hospital Reference Center, over a period of eight weeks. Results: Throughout the sessions, high adherence to conscious attention techniques was observed, allowing the children to overcome physical distance obstacles in a virtual context used as a gateway to the living circumstances and the difficulties experienced at the time of the intervention. Discussion: In the end, improvements were reported in anxious and depressive symptoms with greater capacity for emotional regulation, interpersonal communication and impulse management. Conclusion: These results instigated an intervention protocol elaboration and a research project ongoing at the date of this publication.