@Article{ijmhp.2023.026759,
AUTHOR = {Jung Eun Kim, So Yeon Yoo},
TITLE = {Experiences of Counselors Who Provided Psychological Support during COVID-19 Disaster: A Qualitative Study},
JOURNAL = {International Journal of Mental Health Promotion},
VOLUME = {25},
YEAR = {2023},
NUMBER = {5},
PAGES = {687--697},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/IJMHP/v25n5/52518},
ISSN = {2049-8543},
ABSTRACT = {<b>Background:</b> In crisis intervention sites such as infectious disease disasters, counselors are repeatedly exposed,
directly or indirectly, to the traumatic experiences of victims. Disaster counseling has a negative effect on counselors, which can eventually interfere with the counseling process for disaster victims. Therefore, exploring and
understanding the experiences of counselors is necessary to ensure that qualitative counseling for disaster victims
can be continuously and efficiently conducted. <b>Objectives:</b> This study investigated the experiences of counselors
who participated in mental health counseling as psychological support for victims of the COVID-19 disaster in
Korea. <b>Design: </b>This is a qualitative study. <b>Participants:</b> The study participants comprised 18 counselors who had
mental health professional qualifications of level 2 or higher and who had provided mental health counseling for
COVID-19 confirmed cases and quarantined persons. <b>Methods:</b> Data were collected using focus group interviews
from February 21 to May 29, 2021. The duration of each interview was 60–90 min, and the data were analyzed
using content analysis. <b>Results:</b> The final theme was “Continuing to walk this road anytime, anywhere.” The participants’ experiences were identified in four sub-themes: “being deployed to unprepared counseling,” “encountering various difficulties,” “feeling full of meaning and value,” and “hoping to become a better counselor.”
<b>Conclusions:</b> In order to continuously provide qualitative counseling in case of an infectious disease disaster such
as COVID-19, it is important to develop a qualification and competency strengthening program through education and training to secure the crisis intervention expertise of counselors according to the characteristics of the
disaster. In addition, a psychological support manual for each disaster should be prepared at the national level
according to the type of disaster.},
DOI = {10.32604/ijmhp.2023.026759}
}