The COVID 19 crisis has heightened the risk factors typically linked to poor mental health. Along with the dread of catching the virus, people are confronted with major changes in their everyday lives as their movements are restricted to help in the containment and slowing of the virus’ spread. Faced with new realities such as working from home, temporary and permanent unemployment, school closures and a lack of physical connection with loved ones, family members, friends and co-workers, it is easy to become overwhelmed as our mental health suffers.

 

In response, we offered mental health assistance to the public through toll-free helplines, and to frontline care providers through our mobile counselling vans stationed at Katutura Hospital and Central Hospital.

 

 

• 116 & 106 TOLL-FREE HELPLINES

 

To help Namibians access psychological support services from anywhere in the country, we worked with LifeLine/Childline Namibia to  expand the toll-free lines’ working hours to between 8 am and 8 pm through Monday to Sunday. The free counselling and trauma debriefing provided by these helplines starts with one text or phone call.

 

• MOBILE COUNSELLING

 

By being there to give support after traumatic events, the mobile counselling vans stationed at Katutura and Central Hospitals aided frontline staff such nurses, social workers, cleaners and physicians, as well as ordinary Namibians.

 

For many, the greatest difficulty was the unresolved pain and sorrow as they were not allowed to say goodbye to their loved ones.

 

In addition to providing therapy for family members who lost loved ones to COVID-19, we also offered trauma debriefing to frontline care service providers, family members, friends, and even patients, as well as educators, school staff and scholars when schools reopened .