Posttraumatic Growth of Mental Health Providers During the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

Abstract

This study aimed to explore posttraumatic growth (PTG) related to the lived experiences of mental health professionals who continued to provide services during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Employing a qualitative constructivist phenomenological approach, this research investigated the experiences of six mental health providers. It examined the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on their personal lives and those of their clients, shifts in their worldviews, and areas of PTG. Licensed mental health professionals who offered services during the COVID-19 global pandemic were interviewed using a semi-structured process.

The interview data were coded and analyzed to identify emerging themes related to the research questions. The first theme was the mirrored experiences of mental health providers regarding adaptation, grief and loss, and self-care and maladaptation. The next theme focused on challenges of adaptation to telehealth services and the benefits of this adaptation. The following theme highlighted the worldviews of distrust in society’s responses during crises, the shift toward living in the present moment, and a focus on personal relationships. Growth was reported across all PTG domains, though not all participants experienced growth in every domain.

This study highlights the nuanced and dynamic nature of PTG, with each participant’s unique experiences and struggles leading to growth in different personal ways. This research demonstrates how the COVID-19 global pandemic impacted personal struggles and shifts in worldview regarding societal crisis response, social isolation, and constant change. The growth participants experienced was reflected in greater personal strength and self-agency, the focus on authentic relationships and community, mindfully living in the present, and shifting faith/spiritual practices.