The SNS 24 psychological counseling line has answered almost half a million calls since it was created in April 2020, shortly after the start of the pandemic, currently approaching 430 calls per day.
Data made available this Wednesday, April 1st, on the Ministry of Health’s Shared Services (SPMS) website indicate that, in six years of operation, the line, which is served by a team of around 170 psychologists, has already handled a total of 448 thousand calls.
“SNS 24’s psychological counseling has established itself as a proximity response in mental health, offering essential support to users and healthcare professionals in particularly demanding times”highlighted the SPMS.
According to data available on the website, in the last three years, more than 32 thousand calls were made by healthcare professionals, “reflecting the relevance” of a service that, since 2022, has also been available in English.
According to SPMS, most of the calls received are related to problems and symptoms associated with anxiety, the worsening of previous psychopathology and management and adaptation in a crisis situation.
In emergent situations, in which the psychologist identifies that there is a danger to the user or to third parties, the call is transferred to INEM, which ensures that the appropriate means of assistance are activated.
The psychologist can also identify the need for referral to the SNS 24 screening, counseling and referral service, if they consider that the situation has not been resolved with psychological counseling or that there is another type of symptomatology.
“The line is a good example of the work that has been developed” in partnership with the Order of Portuguese Psychologists, they emphasized SPMS.
The psychological counseling service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is integrated into the NHS 24 telephone line, on 808 24 24 24.
The initiative resulted from a partnership between SPMS, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Order of Psychologists.
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