Team of volunteers are professional clinical psychologists from the Ural State Medical University (USMU) for eight months of work received more than 3.5 thousand calls from residents of the region in psychological help. And if earlier requests came mostly from older people, now young people also turn for consultations.

“Basically, we are dealing with what is now called“ coronpsychosis ” this is the impact of the situation with the COVID-19 epidemic on the minds and lives of people. Many are not ready for the conditions of self-isolation, uncertainty, for situations when someone close to them falls ill. Sometimes it provokes a variety of reactions in people, from anger to the whole world and ending with depressive states, ”said medical psychologist Kirill Bakharev, head of the department of the children’s and adolescent center for children and adolescents of the Sverdlovsk Regional Psychiatric Hospital.

In the practice of volunteer psychologists, there are also cases of family problems that have arisen against the background of a remote work and study format: family members are at home in full force, but often people are not used to being close to each other all the time. They have to learn to interact in such conditions, to distinguish between working hours and rest.

Compared to the spring period, the share of those people who need real psychological help and even correction has increased today, the initiator of the creation of the volunteer team, the chief freelance clinical psychologist of the Ministry of Health of the Sverdlovsk region and the dean of the faculty of psychological and social work of the USMU Evgenia Naboychenko notes:

“During the“ first wave ” most people experienced a sense of anxiety or, conversely, denied a new infection. Now when society has begun to understand the real state of affairs questions related to the possibilities to overcome psychological and cognitive problems that have arisen after the previous illness dominate. “

Psychological assistance to doctors who are especially at risk of professional burnout is of great importance today. Doctors are not only consulted over the phone, they have also developed a memo on how you can help yourself psychologically.

Now 12 people are actively working in the volunteer team, each consultation by phone lasts within 30 minutes. Sometimes people want to talk to a specific specialist – on the recommendation of friends.

“We constantly conduct joint supervision – we discuss any difficulties, difficulties in work, because you cannot be ready for absolutely everything. This greatly helps the specialists to navigate the situation more easily and faster, to assess and minimize the risk in each case, “said Kirill Bakharev.

The plans of the team of volunteer psychologists are to conduct online lectures for medical workers in the region, for employees and students of USMU involved in the fight against coronavirus infection, as well as for students of the Ural Medical University who are afraid and anxious about their health.

Let us remind you that calls from those in need of psychological help are accepted at the number: 8-800-200-34-11.

Daria Korchak