Mental health hotline set up to support NHS staff

Mental health experts in the United Kingdom have set up a number of programs to provide psychological support for health workers who are confronting the COVID-19 outbreak.

On Wednesday, the National Health Service, or NHS, launched a mental health hotline as part of a package of measures to support its 1.4 million staff as they help people deal with the novel coronavirus crisis.

The phone line will be open from 7 am to 11 pm every day, with an additional 24-hour text service staffed by 1,500 volunteers from charities including Hospice UK, the Samaritans and Shout.

"As the pandemic continues, our people will face new and growing challenges on a daily basis," said Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employer. "It's therefore more important than ever that they are able to access resources to help them manage their wellbeing, in a way that suits their needs."

A separate initiative, called Project ARES, was launched by the University of Liverpool's Psychological Resource Network on Tuesday.

Project ARES, which stands for Adaptive Resilience for Emergency Services, includes free remote access to counselling and counsellors, and a series of short online lectures on stress, adaptation, coping and decision-making under pressure.

The resources were created by psychologists and other experts who have studied and worked in high-stress situations, including the aftermath of terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

Several of these lectures are from law enforcement, military, security services and emergency responders.

The program also offers a debriefing course developed by military personnel who have recently returned from long and repeated deployments into war zones.

"These resources are designed to help frontline staff prepare in advance for, adapt during and cope in the aftermath of this critical incident," said project leader Laurence Alison, chair of forensic and investigative psychology at the University of Liverpool.

Alison said that the project resources draw largely from field-based analysis as well as lab-based studies.

"This project has grown out of the initial, urgent request to provide extra training in effective and positive responses to this pandemic," said Alison. "Many of the resources available have been designed to help with decision-making, team cohesion, stress, responding to stress, leadership and a number of other relevant topics. As such, they are useful for not just NHS clinical staff but also any emergency responders dealing with this unprecedented incident."

Several other institutions and public bodies have set up support for frontline responders. As well as launching its new hotline, the NHS has partnered with Headspace, UnMind and Big Health to offer a number of free apps to assist staff.

Guidance and resources related to COVID-19 and mental wellbeing have also been made freely available by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Royal College of Physicians, the Queen's Nursing Institute, the British Psychological Society and the University College London Institute of Mental Health, and other bodies.