While enforcing strict compliance with quarantine guidelines, the state of Kerala in southern India is now providing psychological support to people who have been locked up in their homes for the past two weeks. The worst-hit have been students and the elderly.
The University of Kerala has set up a district-wise team of 33 tele-counsellors to address their fear and anxiety accompanying the lockdown period. Additionally there are three clinical psychologists to address advanced stress levels of callers.
“The tele-counsellors are all trained professionals. They provide immediate counselling to callers, with fear or anxiety during the lockdown period. In case anyone requires advanced attention, we refer them to psychiatrists in the respective district headquarters or at the state capital, whichever is convenient to them,” explained J. Jaseer, who is the Head of Psychology Department at the University of Kerala. Jaseer leads the state-wide army of counsellors.
Jaseer told Sputnik that the University has a permanent counselling service cell for students, but amid the present health crisis, it has been expanded to help others across the state.
“We do not expect an immediate stream of callers seeking support, as the state has not reached that stage. Initially, we are creating awareness about the infection. The counselling services are part of a contingency plan, in case the pandemic spreads and people affected by the viral infection or their close relatives slip into any kind of psychological stress, especially since it has no cure,” Mangaleshwari, one of the tele-counsellors explained the intent behind the move to Sputnik.
Kerala was the first state to draft a containment plan and declared the COVID-19 outbreak a state disaster after a third case was detected in the state. It also had to grapple with the issue of alcoholics committing suicide, due to the closure of liquor stores. While COVID-19 took the lives of two persons, there have been seven suicides during the lockdown, as addicts faced bodily and psychological issues.
While the state had India's highest reported number of positive cases a week ago, by 9 April Kerala had improved to 8th position, with 345 positive cases, while the western state of Maharashtra has reported 1,135 cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with 738, according to the federal Health and Family Welfare Ministry.
While the number of people testing positive in India has topped 5,000 with 166 persons succumbing to the viral infection, these figure for Kerala were 345 and 2.
