A perspectiva de coordenadoras de grupos online durante a pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract

Online service had already been regulated in Brazil, however, with the arrival of COVID-19, what was previously a non-recurrent modality suddenly became the only possible alternative. Following this change, online group coordinators and participants experienced new challenges and learning experiences. Thus, this study sought to understand the potential and challenges of online group modality in the context of mental health, according to group coordinators. Based on a qualitative approach, 9 semi-structured interviews were carried out, which were transcribed and subjected to a thematic analysis. The research results showed that i) online groups enabled mental health care in the face of physical distancing; ii) the coordinators had many doubts and insecurities about group practice; iii) the contract had to be adapted to the online modality but the concerns with confidentiality and flexibility regarding the structuring of the groups due their diverse characteristics were maintained; iv) the main challenge was connection instability; v) challenges in body expressiviness and complications in verbal communication required efforts to learn new management; vi) the bond and affection occurred online; vii) online groups proved to be effective, comprehensive and adventageous in terms of economy and convenience. Therefore, public policies on internet access, training in online groups to give confidence to professionals in the field and studies that investigate their structuring and evaluation are necessary, in order to consolidate this modality in Brazil.