Experience of the telephone counseling service for people with psychological disorders associated with social isolation

Abstract

Background: In the current conditions of social isolation, imposed by COVID-19, psychological help lines have been implemented via telephone. It is of interest to know if the contribution of this counseling service is effective; and to what extent the population has assumed this as a reliable way of psychological help.Objective: to describe the experience of the telephone counseling service to people with psychological disorders associated with social isolation.Methods: a descriptive study was carried out of the telephone counseling service aimed at the population with psychological disorders, carried out by the Mella District Mental Health Center, Camagüey province, during May 2020. The reasons for the call, clinical manifestations and behavior to follow were the main variables studied.Results: the elderly population contributed the highest number of calls (40.6%), as well as the most frequent reason being the search for psychological support. Depression and anxiety were found as the main clinical manifestations; and psychological support and monitoring of this as the behaviors to follow in most cases.Conclusion: due to the impossibility of going to specialized mental health centers, due to the conditions imposed by the pandemic, telephone counseling allowed a considerable group of people to receive psychological help backed by trained professionals, in correspondence with individual needs.</p