Three parameters were defined for the questionnaires:
- Attendance in group meetings
- Performance measured in self-expression and participation in group activities
- Level of satisfaction in terms of positive feelings and achievement of personal goals
A questionnaire was also administered to the students’ parents to obtain their feedback on their child’s motivation to attend group meetings and their perception of changes in their children’s coping skills and behavior.
Online Group Interventions: Assessment and Reflection
Although the assessment evaluated the educational process as a whole, the online group intervention meetings were addressed explicitly in order to capture input on the consequences of the pandemic’s unpredictable restrictions on group meetings.
In the group counselling sessions of the group-facilitator course, the attendance rate was 95% (most absences were due to consequences of COVID-19). Participants described the weekly meetings as “an island of sanity” during the difficult period of lockdown and restrictions.
The student-meeting attendance rate was 85%. Most participants showed up to meetings on time (tardiness was due at times to poor connectivity). Yet, while dropouts are common in face-to-face programs, no students dropped out of the online program.
Performance: Group-member roles are well described in face-to-face psychotherapy meetings (Rutan et al., 2007). Some participants performed differently while meeting online than when face to face. Some commented that the virtual environment enabled them to interact within the group while others argued that the setting was restrictive. The course evaluators believed that these behaviors were influenced by personal characteristics such as openness and intimidation. Moreover, as described earlier, online group meetings enabled individuals to enhance their social skills to better engage in the process.
Satisfaction: The level of participant satisfaction in group interventions is important for understanding intervention efficacy (Oei & Green, 2008). Therefore, as part of the practice protocol, the course instructors recommended that group facilitators raise students’ awareness of their feelings and what influenced changes in their moods.
At the end of each meeting, participants were asked to rate their moods before and at the end of each meeting on a scale of one (bad mood) to ten (great mood). They were also encouraged to explain what influenced their feelings (positively or negatively). In most cases, ratings showed that participant feelings improved during the meeting, and they expressed satisfaction in the progress they made. These results suggest that the online group activities and atmosphere enabled them to acquire new skills.
This feedback and data shed light on the effectiveness and benefits of continuing group interventions online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
