Survey deadline : July 31, 2020

EFPA Survey on online/distance teaching of psychology

This survey is provided by the Board of Educational Affairs of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) in cooperation with the European Federation of Psychology Teachers´Associations (EFPTA) and the European Society for Psychology Learning and Teaching (ESPLAT). We aim to collect the data about experiences of psychology teachers at different levels of education from different European countries with online/distance teaching of psychology. We believe that the results will help us to provide further guidance and examples of good practice to support psychology teachers.

You can participate in the study through this link  

Please share this link with any colleagues that are involved in teaching psychology. Your participation is anonymous and voluntary. You have  the right to withdraw at any time. All information will remain confidential and any publication of the data resulting from the survey will be anonymous.

The survey is now CLOSED!

EFPA Survey on current use of online consultation technology by psychologists and other mental healthcare professionals

The EFPA Project Group on eHealth has launched a survey which takes about 5 minutes to complete. It focuses on the current use of online consultation technology by psychologists and other mental healthcare professionals in the context of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. The aim is to obtain an overview of your current usage and your main questions and concerns for adequately using online consultation. Questions and concerns will be grouped per country and - whenever possible, together with suggestions on our behalf - sent to your respective member associations, to support you in the adequate and timely informing of your members.   

You can participate in the study through this page   

The questionnaire is available in multiple languages, translated by colleagues from within the project group. 

EFPA survey on current use of online consultation technology by psychologists and other mental healthcare professionals

The survey is now closed

FAQ on online consultation

These frequently asked questions were put together by Nele De Witte, Sylvie Bernaerts, Eva Van Assche, Sam Willems & Tom Van Daele of Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, in close collaboration with the EFPA Project Group on eHealth and several collaborators from around the world.  

Different sources already provide relevant information about (online) mental healthcare in times of Corona. We do not aim to be another (competing) channel, but we want to bring together information from other reliable sources. We will do this specifically in relation to the concerns that were reported in the survey on online consultations by European psychologists. We will not be able to be exhaustive, but we will add new information when we can. Local guidelines and information that relates to the context of your country can be found on the websites of your psychological association. 

Find out the FAQ on online consultation here on the EFPA website  

Online consultations, particularly via video chat, provide a feasible, online alternative to deliver psychological care and therapy. 

Most psychologists still prefer face-to-face contact with their clients or patients who seek help or support. 

However, to safeguard not only your own health, but also that of those seeking your assistance and the society as a whole, alternatives should be explored as much as possible. 

Research shows that effectiveness of such teleconsultations is slightly less optimal, yet often manages to obtain similar effects to conventional care.

Highlight: some essential points for short-term implementation:

 1. Discuss the option with your client (preferable over the phone), explaining the rationale and emphasising the importance of relying on online consultations for now. Ideally, only do this with clients or patients with whom you have already met face-to-face, so you know how to optimally intervene in the real world as well, in case of any emergencies, e.g. risks for self-harm or suicide. 

 2. Make sure both you and your client are in a private space and cannot be disturbed. 

 3. Assure sufficient time for technical troubleshooting. 

 4. Rely on professional videoconferencing tools tailored for teleconsultation. Do not rely on programs like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype or Telegram. In case of any doubt, contact your member association or national authority for suitable tools (e.g., Skype for Business is allowed in Norway, Zoom in Sweden), or consult relevant regulations. 

 5. Do not make use of a public computer, log off after a session and keep your operating system and/or apps up to date. 

 6. In case you notice a security breach on your computer, inform your patients, inform the police and seek help from an IT security professional.  

Guidelines for ethical and effective telepsychology practice have already been in place for quite some time from:   

EFPA - European Federation of Psychologists' Associations  

APA - American Psychological Association   

Guidelines : Psychological assessment undertaken remotely 

Scope of these guidelines

These guidelines apply to UK practitioner psychologists conducting psychological assessments of individuals under the specific restrictions in practice which are in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. We acknowledge that remote assessment is already a recognised practice in some circumstances. However, during the pandemic many psychologists who would not routinely undertake remote assessment are considering
doing so due to the restrictions in place. 

Assessment is defined here as the collection of data based on eliciting or observing behaviour according to a structured or manualised approach requiring some control of environmental variables and, often, comparison of individual performance with standardised data. Assessment approaches will include, for example, administration of cognitive tests, structured questionnaires and observations of behaviour.

Download here as PDF 