Psycho-Social Support Helplines Calls During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey

Yıl 2022, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 2, 100 - 114, 31.12.2022

Esra Alataş Akfer Karaoğlan Kahiloğlulları Fatma Gül Ertuğrul Altin Malaj Şebnem Avşar Kurnaz

https://doi.org/10.54467/trjasw.1168860

Öz

The necessary measures taken to limit the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have had an unfortunate negative effect on the mental well-being of people across the world. The pandemic affected the service delivery of mental health services in Turkey. Unlike many countries, that made use of digital health services and of telephone helplines to respond to increased need for information and support, Turkey had no prior experience with national mental health helplines. It established a national-wide helpline in a short time and responded to calls for information and support. This study looks at the helpline establishment, support given, reasons for calls and referrals, for a period of 12 months. Top reasons for calls included COVID-19 infection or loss of relative, anxiety and need for information. The helplines were essential at the beginning of the pandemic to respond to the need for information and support.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Psycho-social support helplines, COVID-19 pandemic, Mental health, Psychiatric disorder

Kaynakça

• 1. Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., Rubin, J.G. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet, 395, 912–920. https://doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20) 30460-8
• 2. Brülhart, M., Klotzbücher, V., Lalive, Reich, S., K. (2021). Mental health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic as revealed by helpline calls, Nature, 600, 121–126, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04099-6
• 3. Cao J , Wen M , Shi YR , Wu YC , He Q . Investigation of anxiety, depression and influencing factors in patients with new coronavirus pneumonia. J Nurs Sci 2020;35(09):15–17
• 4. Cao J. , Wen M. , Shi Y.,R. , Wu Y.C., , He, Q. (2020). Investigation of anxiety, depression and influencing factors in patients with new coronavirus pneumonia. Journal of Nursing Science;35(09):15–17.
• 5. Dong, M. & Zhen, J. (2020). Headline stress disorder caused by Netnews during the outbreak of COVID-19. Health Expectations, 23, 259–260, https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13055
• 6. Drosten C., Günther S., Preiser W. (2003). Identification of a novel coronavirus in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome. The New England Journal of Medicine,348,1967–1976.
• 7. Du, N., Ouyang, Y., He, Z. et al. (2021). The qualitative analysis of characteristic of callers to a psychological hotline at the early stage of COVID-19 in China, BMC Public Health 21, 809 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10883-w
• 8. Dubey S, Biswas P, Ghosh R, Chatterjee S, Dubey M, Chatterjee S et al. (2020). Psychosocial impact of COVID-19. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome, Clinical Research & Reviews, 14(5):779-788.
• 9. Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) (2007). IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings. Geneva: IASC.
• 10. Keshvardoost, S.,Bahaadinbeigy, K., Fatehi, F. (2020). Role of Telehealth in the management of covid-19: lessons learned from previous sars, mers, and ebola outbreaks, Telemedicine and e-Health, 26, 10.1089/tmj.2020.0105.
• 11. Ksiazek T.G., Erdman D., Goldsmith, C.,S.(2003). A novel coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome, The New England Journal of Medicine,348,1953–1966.
• 12. Ministry of Health of Turkey (2020.) Guidance for COVID 19, Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://covid19bilgi.saglik.gov.tr/depo/rehberler/covid-19-rehberi/COVID
• 13. Miu, Adriana & Vo, Hoa & Palka, Jayme & Glowacki, Christopher & Robinson, Reed. (2020). Teletherapy with serious mental illness populations during COVID-19: telehealth conversion and engagement. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 1-18, 10.1080/09515070.2020.1791800.
• 14. Mobile Communication and Information Business Association (MOBISAD) and Istanbul University (2020). Mobile Communication Sector Report 2019, Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qf31an3nt2pUHe17MqLObVmkrQZHGsaw/view
• 15. Qiu, J., Shen, B., Zhao, M., 2020. A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic: implications and policy recommendations, General Psychiatry, 33, e100213. https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2020-100213.
• 16. Shigemura, J., Ursano, R, Morganstein, J.C, Kurosawa, M., Benedek, D. (2020). Public responses to the novel 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Japan: mental Health consequences and target populations. Psy. C. Neuro. 74, 281–282. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcn.1298
• 17. Scerri J, Sammut A, Cilia Vincenti S, Grech P, Galea M, Scerri C, Calleja Bitar D, Dimech Sant S. (2021). Reaching out for Help: Calls to a Mental Health Helpline Prior to and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9):4505. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094505
• 18. Song, X., Liu, X. & Wang, C. (2020). The role of telemedicine during the COVID-19 epidemic in China—experience from Shandong province. Crit Care, 24, 178 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-020-02884-9
• 19. Rodríguez-Rey R, Garrido-Hernansaiz H and Collado S (2020) Psychological Impact and Associated Factors During the Initial Stage of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Among the General Population in Spain, .Front. Psychol. 11: 1540.doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01540
• 20. Taquet, M., Geddes, J. R., Husain, M., Luciano, S., & Harrison, P. J. (2021). 6-month neurological and psychiatric outcomes in 236 379 survivors of COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records. The lancet. Psychiatry, 8(5), 416–427. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00084-5
• 21. Taylor S.(2019) Psychology of pandemics. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. World Health Organization (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on mental, neurological and substance use services: results of a rapid assessment. Geneva: Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
• 22. World Health Organization (2020). COVID-19 Situation Report, 51, Retrieved February 16,2022, from https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200311-sitrep-51-covid 19.pdf?sfvrsn=1ba62e57_10