Publication:

Stress, coping and resilience in times of COVID-19: an online psychological intervention for women

Background In the COVID-19 pandemic, women are a vulnerable group because they are more prone to suffering mental health problems. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of an online Cognitive-Behavioral intervention on stress, coping, and resilience in a group of women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico.

Methods Employing a single-group pre-test and post-test design and an intentional non-probabilistic sampling, 43 participants received training in cognitive-behavioral techniques, during five synchronous sessions on a videoconferencing platform.

Results Participants reported moderate perceived stress before and after the intervention (Mdn =15). Changes were observed in four of the five dimensions of the Mexican resilience scale (p≤0.05; r≥0.442) as well as, in the distancing and positive appraisal subscales of the ways of coping questionnaire (p≤0. 05; r≥0.456).

Conclusions Telepsychology is a low-cost, feasible, and effective remote intervention modality to promote more adaptive coping and resilience behaviours during a health emergency.