E-Paper
Bengal starts psychological counselling of citizens to beat lockdown stress
Initially, the lockdown was enforced for 21 days from March 25, then extended for another 19 days till May 3 and from Monday further prolonged for 14 more days.
West Bengal health department authorities have started counselling sessions for people suffering from mental stress due to the ongoing lockdown restrictions that have been imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.
Initially, the lockdown was enforced for 21 days from March 25, then extended for another 19 days till May 3 and from Monday further prolonged for 14 more days.
Kolkata is among other metros, such as national capital Delhi and Mumbai, which is part of the 130 districts that have been earmarked as Covid-19 red zones, where lockdown 3:0 was enforced from Monday.
Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage
“Earlier, we had started psychological counselling of Covid-19 patients undergoing treatment in hospitals and in quarantine centres. Now, we’ve launched a facility, where any person can call and avail of tele-counselling,” said a senior state health department official.
The counselling session is available between 11am and 5pm on all seven days of a week.
Any person seeking counselling can call on the helpline numbers of the health department and book a slot. Later, the person can call at the appointed time to receive counselling over the phone, the official said.
Prolonged lockdown restrictions have necessitated the need for counselling, he added.
“The growing fear of Covid-19 has triggered immense anxiety, stress, and insecurity in the minds of people. This stress is manifesting in various forms. People with pre-existing mental conditions are feeling threatened with an overload of information about the pandemic. Psychological crisis intervention is urgently needed for the timely prevention of hazards from the secondary mental health crisis. Counselling may also help overcome issues related to anxiety and stress and restore emotional balance,” said Kasturi Thakur, a clinical psychologist at a Kolkata-based state-run medical college and hospital.
Covid-19 patients, who are undergoing treatment, and suspects, who have been kept in either institutional or home quarantine, are already undergoing counselling.
Earlier, the state government had directed chief medical officers of all the districts to arrange counselling sessions in all institutional quarantine centres and other such facilities.
The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare had also flagged the issue of mental stress of Covid-19 suspects, patients, and those who have recovered. The ministry had released a presentation “Minding our minds during the Covid-19” in April on how to cope up with fear, anxiety, panic, and other stress-related ailments, listing dos and don’ts.
“We’ve deployed two psychologists and two psychiatrists, who are not only counselling Covid-19 suspects, but even doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers treating these patients at the hospital. We’ve provided all our staff with the number of the psychologists and psychiatrists to make use of tele-counselling between 8 am and 8 pm,” said a senior doctor of a state-run hospital that is treating Covid-19 patients.
A doctor of another state-run hospital said that the decision to deploy psychologists at quarantine centres was taken following reports that several patients were suffering from stress-related disorders during their 14-day quarantine period, where they have to remain isolated from their family members. Some refused to eat, some were not cooperating with doctors, some were too silent and some even made escape bids.
“Many patients and even healthcare staff are suffering from anxiety, fear, depression, and other kinds of stress. Talking to a psychologist helps them to ventilate their stress. This is the key to a crisis situation. Tele-counselling is the best possible option, as it helps us maintain social distancing norms,” said Amit Kumar Bhattacharya, professor at the Institute of Psychiatry in Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital and Medical College.
