The National Center for Mental Health said the number of people seeking consultation through its crisis hotline has tripled during the pandemic.
NCMH program director Bernard Argamosa said its 24/7 hotline received an average of 1,000 calls per month as of April, versus the 300 to 350 calls it received monthly when it began its operation in May 2019.
“Many callers were also experiencing sadness, nervousness, and anxiety,” Argamosa said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo.
“Some of them were previously diagnosed, but many are also calling due to the fear of the unknown, fear of the future. This affected their mental health,” he added.
The hospital caters as well to health workers battling the pandemic in the frontlines and COVID-19 patients, Argamosa said.
“What we really give is psychological first aid and processing,” he said.
“You don’t talk to them to solve their problems. But you are there to listen and give them courage or enlightenment to seek further help if needed, to see what else are their needs,” he added.
Argamosa said the public may reach the NCMH crisis hotline through 1553, its toll-free Luzon-wide landline, 0917-899-8727, and 0966-351-4518 for Globe/TM subscribers, and 0908-639-2672 for Smart/Sun/TNT subscribers.
The agency can also be reached through their official Twitter (twitter.com/ncmhhotline) and Facebook (facebook.com/ncmhcrisishotline) pages.