Group Dynamics When Battling a Pandemic

Craig D Parks

doi:10.1037/gdn0000143

Background: This special issue of Group Dynamics presents six articles that address aspects of how group dynamics and processes have been impacted by, and have the potential to impact, the SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This introduction briefly reviews and comments on each article. Results: The articles highlight a number of issues and findings: the natural inclination of people to congregate in groups both exacerbate the spread of the virus and can provide solace during these times of stress; the concept of groupthink may explain the seemingly irrational rejection of public health measures among some in society; group psychotherapy is effective, but we need more research to understand how it works when delivered in an online format as necessitated by the current pandemic; an emotional management intervention might help virtual work groups to perform better; how members perceive their virtual environment could affect the quality of their groupwork; and today's virtual work environments requires group members to have a common understanding of the technologies they are using. Conclusions: The current crisis has highlighted that groups to which we belong are important to our mental health and productivity. The pandemic also has made clear the need for a broader scholarly and professional investment in the understanding and use of groups. Such an investment would not only move the fields of group research forward, but would also inform public health policy, and ease our adjustment to and capacity to flourish in the current and future pandemics. Highlights and Implications *The COVID-19 health crisis has shown us how central groups are to daily living. Unfortunately, there are many aspects of group functioning that we do not understand very well, but which the pandemic has shown are critical. *This special issue of Group Dynamics reviews a select few of these aspects. *In particular, the papers address the virtual group experience and what we know about how it compares to the in-person experience; provision of virtual group psychotherapy; how social distancing is necessary for physical health but problematic for emotional health; and how groupthink can explain some of the surprising behaviors that we have seen during the COVID-19 crisis.

Group Dynamics When Battling a Pandemic

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