Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0487
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0487
+44 1478 350008
Polina R. Efremova
NGO WAPP Support Project, Russian Federation
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother
Statement of the problem: The coronavirus infection and its influence on mental health of people all over the world in 2020/2021 increased the need of adequate ways of preventing mental health disorders, e.g. depression. Several studies showed that there was a significant growth of depressive and anxiety disorders among population during COVID-19 pandemic. The research also showed that young women are the most vulnerable group towards depression. In the following research more than 45% of women in the age of 18-25 had the rate ≥14 in Beck Depression Scale. There is also a clear need in a more humanistic way of exploring stressfactors than questionnaires. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: This study was utilizes with Beck’s Depression Test and author’s questionnaire (I. Kirillov, E. Dobiala, P. Efremova) in order to understand how different coping strategies correlate with depression symptoms. The balance model, one of the most important concepts of positive psychotherapy (PPT after Peseschkian since 1977), was used to describe coping strategies in Polish women related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The balance model describes four dimensions of life: body, relationship, activity and meaning. The body dimension includes physical activity, sexuality, nutrition, and relaxation. The dimension of contact comprises interpersonal relations with relatives and the larger social and cultural environment. Productivity or the need to achieve is manifested in taking actions to provide the individuals with a better social status, satisfying work, and development in important areas. The dimension of creativity and fantasy means looking for something beyond the current time. It refers to dreams, future, faith and metaphysics and allows an individual to search for a deeper metaphysical meaning. The data was collected online due to the specific situation of lockdown. Findings: Activity sphere did not have any significant connection with depression. While body, meaning relationship spheres did, body sphere should be interpreted with great caution, as there are many questions about the body in the Beck’s questionnaire, and thus, there is a phenomenon of co-linearity. Thus, body area was not included in the analysis. With the cluster analysis three clusters were found. The first cluster invested time and energy in all three spheres, the second did not invest in either of them, whereas the third group invested their time in activity and meanings but not in contacts. This lack of relations in the group correlated with the higher rates of depression. Conclusion & Significance: The risk of depression during COVID-19 pandemic is about 30% among women and even higher among women under 25 years old (47%). Strengthening of the relationship area could decrease the risk of depressive disorders occurring. Moreover, the balance model could be used as a gentle way of exploring the risk factors among the population of each community in more or less casual conversations, which could also provide additional contact.
Polina Efremova is an international trainer in positive psychotherapy accredited by World Association of Positive Psychotherapy and a EAP certificate holder. Her scientific expertise is in the field of stress, professional burnout and personal meanings, while her psychotherapeutic interest is mostly in such topics as trauma, transcultural differences and adaptation, inner conflicts. The method of positive psychotherapy, used in this research and author’s practical work, is highly sensitive towards microcultural and macrocultural differences and thus allows to refer to any client regardless their nationality, educational background or social status.