Mental Health Service Provision During COVID-19: Results of the Third Survey of Licensed Psychologists

Abstract

A third survey of the practice of licensed psychologists during the pandemic conducted in June 2021 revealed that the rapid adoption of telepsychological service provision has continued approximately 15 months after a national public health emergency was declared. Most respondents intend to make telepsychology a permanent component of their practice going forward. Other notable findings from our survey revealed that after an initial decline in caseload reported in the early days of the pandemic, the majority of psychologists surveyed now report an increase in caseload, often necessitating the establishment of a waitlist. Respondents reported that their patients/clients are more accepting of telepsychology than in our previous survey. That said, a significant minority of psychologists expressed concerns that this technology will negatively affect their future practice. Results also indicated that psychologists are encountering greater symptom acuity among their patients associated with the pandemic, including an increase in reports of suicidal thinking or behavior. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42843-021-00044-3.

Peer Consultation: An Enriching Necessity Rather Than a Luxury for Psychologists During and Beyond the Pandemic

“…There is an increased need for peer consultation as the pandemic has intensified the burden on psychologists. They carry heavier caseloads to meet the demands of a more distressed population (Sammons et al, 2021). Since the start of the pandemic, the rate of anxiety or depressive disorders rose approximately 30% (Panchal et al, 2021).…”

“…Within one of our clinical settings, for example, the number of appointments over the 2020-2021 year increased by 58% compared to the 2018-2019 year, and the percentage of new patients seeking therapy increased by 20%. Psychologists reported increases in patients' suicidal ideation or behavior, indicating greater symptom acuity in their clinical load (Sammons et al, 2021). In a survey of therapists during the pandemic, about two-thirds of therapists reported more fatigue and vicarious trauma than before the pandemic, which suggests greater burnout (Aafjes-van Doorn et al, 2020).…”

“…Lastly, there are risk management issues when a patient is a danger to self or others but the provider is in a different physical location, which presents additional crisis management difficulties in a virtual format (Stoll et al, 2020). These ethical concerns are important to consider, but they do not negate telehealth benefits of increasing access to care and utilization (Sammons et al, 2021).…”

“…Psychologists who provide in-person treatment may fear contracting COVID-19 and inadvertently infecting their family and friends (Ledesma & Fernandez, 2021). Like the general population, psychologists may experience personal grief and loss due to COVID-19 deaths in their family, friend groups, and communities (Sammons et al, 2021). The pandemic may also compound pre-existing race-based stress experienced by psychologists of color, who may personally experience increased racism or responsibilities to support under-resourced communities of color (Miu & Moore, 2021).…”

Psychological Practice in a Post-Pandemic Era

“…The seismic shift to telepsychological service provision observed in the early weeks of the pandemic is evolving to a new, hybrid model of mental health service provision. Results of a survey conducted by Sammons et al (2021) suggest that most psychologists will continue to use telepsychology to at least some extent in their practices, with approximately 20% of respondents indicating that they anticipate servicing the entirety of their caseload via telepsychology. Psychotherapy is rather uniquely suited for distance service provision, and anecdotal evidence suggests that many patients appreciate the convenience it affords.…”