The position paper explicitly emphasizes the complexity of the condition: PCS cannot be explained as purely psychological or purely physical. Instead, a biopsychosocial understanding of the illness is highlighted as the foundation for diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, the societies make it clear that post-COVID syndrome must not be equated with known mental disorders, even though comorbid psychological conditions can influence the course of the illness and should be treated alongside it.
“Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) is a serious and complex condition that must neither be trivialized nor explained in a one-sided way,” says Prof. Dr. Martin Walter, spokesperson for the DZPG partner site Halle–Jena–Magdeburg and head of the DGPPN Post-COVID Task Force. “There is no scientific basis for understanding PCS exclusively as a mental or exclusively as a physical illness. What is crucial is a differentiated, multiprofessional perspective.”
Further developing care: interdisciplinarity as the key
Based on this understanding, DGPPN and DGPM derive concrete requirements for care. At the core is an interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and well-coordinated treatment approach that reflects the complexity of the condition. This includes careful differential diagnostics that systematically incorporate psychosomatic and psychiatric aspects. Specialized care services should be expanded, and existing treatment options further developed. In addition, all affected individuals should be offered psychotherapeutic support.
At the same time, the professional societies explicitly warn against trivializing the condition. Such trivialization could lead to stigmatization, additional burden for those affected, and ultimately to inadequate care.
Research and societal understanding as future tasks
In addition to care, the position paper also addresses research needs. DGPPN and DGPM call for a stronger interdisciplinary orientation in research as well as coordinated, cross-departmental funding structures. The goal is to translate findings into clinical practice more rapidly.
“Just like care provision, research must also become more interdisciplinary,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Martin Walter, who also leads the Post-COVID research project FEDORA funded by the Federal Ministry of Health. “This requires coordinated research funding across departments and funding sources so that research findings can be transferred into care more quickly. The current National Decade against Post-Infectious Diseases is promising in this regard. It remains to be seen whether specific funding calls will adequately reflect the importance and complex interrelationships within psychology, psychotherapy, and psychosomatic medicine.”
The professional societies also see a need for action at the societal level. Many affected individuals still report that their symptoms are not taken seriously. Targeted public education and clear health policy signals are therefore needed to promote understanding, reduce stigmatization, and improve the social participation of those affected.
Source: Press release of DGPPN and DGPM
Joint position paper by DGPPN and DGPM, April 2026: Post-COVID-Syndrom: Interdisziplinäre Versorgung sichern, Forschung stärken, Teilhabe verbessern
