The SNS 24 psychological support line will be adapted to new needs

The SNS 24 psychological advice line, which has received more than 257 thousand calls since its inception in April 2020, will be adapted to new needs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The statement was made by the General Services Coordinator of the Ministry of Health – SNS 24 Division, João Oliveira, who in an interview with Lusa stated that the psychological counseling line is “one of the services that, in percentage terms, has grown the most in SNS24.”

“The psychological counseling line was created in a very specific context, under enormous pressure, especially on health professionals, and this line is not going anywhere because in fact it is in great demand,” said João Oliveira.

To date, it has answered more than 257,000 calls, most of which came from users but also some health care workers, he said, recalling that the service arose out of concerns about the impact of the pandemic on mental health.

Available every day of the year and under the supervision of clinical psychologists, “the service will be strengthened, improved and even expanded in scope in line with the government’s mental health response.”

“During the pandemic, we were focused on the reasons that the pandemic brought us in terms of mental health, but now comes the post-pandemic, which has brought us some more news, in this case not very good,” he lamented, citing cases of loneliness, anxiety, as well as “the pressures that people experience in their lives.”

The work to adapt the line to the new needs that arise is being carried out by the Order of Portuguese Psychologists, which, according to João Oliveira, “has been the main partner in this service.”

“We are monitoring the data and what we understand, and also trying to explore, together with the Order of Portuguese Psychologists, whether in certain situations, instead of one-time monitoring, (…) we can stay with this monitoring,” he said.

While the service is already making a few follow-up calls to users who have a risk matrix used by line psychologists, the goal “is to further encourage and strengthen this monitoring program.”

Calls to SNS 24 have no duration limit, but the most important thing, he emphasized, is that users feel that there is someone on the other end of the line who can help them, because all services are interconnected.

“This type of response cannot be a one-off response, it must be a one-off and follow-up response,” especially to avoid overwhelming emergency services, which are often called upon for mental health reasons, João Oliveira said.

In emergency situations, when the psychologist determines that there is a danger to the user or third parties, the call is transferred to INEM, which ensures that the appropriate means of assistance are activated.

In addition, the psychologist may determine the need for referral to the SNS24 Screening, Counseling and Referral Service if they believe that the situation has not been resolved through counseling or another type of symptomatology exists.

The psychological counseling service is integrated into the SNS 24 telephone line and aims to provide support in various situations such as acute anxiety, psychological fragility and worsening mental illness.