The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the mental health system by surprise, with the state of lockdown forcing businesses to close their doors, including many mental health services. This has driven many psychotherapists and other mental health professionals towards telepsychotherapy, relying on online consultations to provide continuity of care. However, the adoption of telepsychotherapy required major adaptations from both mental health professionals and patients. This study set out to explore the predictors of the use of online consultations and the perceived level of comfort using telepsychotherapy in a sample of 73 Lebanese mental health professionals. Data was collected via online dissemination of a survey. Results show that 82% of participants made use of online consultations in the past few days, reflecting the adaptation of Lebanese mental health professionals to the atypical newly imposed situation triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequent lockdown. Having previous experience in the use of online consultations and perceived level of telepresence were significant predictors of the level of comfort of mental health professionals in the execution online consultations. We suggest that more awareness and trainings are required around the practice of telepsychotherapy outside the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 大流行让精神卫生系统措手不及，封锁状态迫使企业关门，包括许多精神卫生服务机构。这促使许多心理治疗师和其他心理健康专业人员转向远程心理治疗，依靠在线咨询来提供连续性护理。然而，远程心理治疗的采用需要心理健康专业人员和患者的重大适应。本研究旨在以 73 名黎巴嫩心理健康专业人员为样本，探讨在线咨询使用情况的预测因素以及远程心理治疗的舒适度感知水平。数据是通过在线传播调查收集的。结果显示，82%的参与者在过去几天内使用了在线咨询，这反映出黎巴嫩心理健康专业人员对由COVID-19大流行及其随后的封锁引发的非典型新情况的适应。先前使用在线咨询的经验和感知的远程呈现水平是心理健康专业人员在执行在线咨询时的舒适度的重要预测因素。我们建议，在 COVID-19 大流行的背景下，需要对远程心理治疗的实践进行更多的认识和培训。