Direct support line for psychiatric patients at a hospital center in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction. The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health has been recognized and highlighted. To overcome the difficulties in accessing health care during this period, some strategies have emerged, such as the creation of Psychological Support Lines and this approach was thus adopted by the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service of the Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho. The objective of this study is the sociodemographic characterization of the patients who accessed the Line, the analysis of the most prevalent pathologies and the reflection on the importance of its use in patients previously monitored by Psychiatry. Materials and Methods. Data on sociodemographic and clinical variables of patients who used the Line were registered and a quantitative and descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results. Among the 100 contacts made, 29% corresponded to worsening anxious and depressive symptoms, and 18% were related to behavioral changes resulting from exacerbation of psychotic symptoms, with records also of questions related to the prescription and management of psychiatric drugs. Most situations were managed by telephone with psychoeducational measures, 39% using minor therapeutic adjustments and a small percentage was oriented for face-to-face assessment. Conclusion. The data obtained is consonant with the literature, which refers to anxious and depressive symptoms as the most prevalent in the context of this Pandemic. It is essential that more strategies are developed by healthcare professionals with clinical experience and in cooperation with primary care services during times of crisis and that further studies are carried out to understand how this assistance can be optimized.