The SNS 24 psychological consultation line has answered more than 280 thousand calls over four years

According to the Ministry of Health’s General Services Service (SPMS), the SNS 24 psychological counseling line has responded to more than 280,000 calls in four years, and more than 19,000 came from health professionals.

In a note published this Monday, SPMS explains that this mental health counseling service, launched on April 1, 2020, during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, “has played a fundamental role in providing emotional and psychological support across the country.” “.

The number of users served by the SNS 24 psychological advice line (LAP) is increasing every year: from 50,000 calls in 2020 to 64,500 in 2023.

In the first quarter of this year, more than 15 thousand calls were received from users.

In 2022, the service became available in English, answering 4,885 calls in that language.

The LAP was launched as a joint effort between SPMS and the Order of Portuguese Psychologists and was “an example of collaboration”, providing an “immediate response” to the population’s urgent needs for psychological support, the statement added.

The service is provided exclusively by psychologists who deal with a variety of issues, such as anxiety-related symptoms, exacerbation of previous psychopathology and emerging crises.

SPMS emphasizes that in these latter cases, the line “plays an important role in identifying and redirecting situations that pose a danger to the user or third parties, transferring the call to INEM, which ensures the activation of the necessary means of assistance.” .

On the other hand, they add, a psychologist may also determine the need for referral to the SNS 24 screening, counseling and referral service “if he/she believes that the situation has not been resolved through counseling or if the user presents with another type of symptomatology.”

This mental health help is available every day of the year.