City launches helpline for citizens with mental health problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people were feeling the emotional and psychological burden of the situation. To address this problem, the Lisbon Municipality created a helpline to offer psychosocial support to its residents. The line “Lisboa Liga-te” (Lisbon Calls You) is free-of-charge and it will operate 24 hours a day, even on weekends.

According to Manuel Grilo, responsible for the Social Rights department of the Municipality, states that the helpline was created because “poverty and social exclusion lead, many times, to situations of emotional imbalance and the worsening of mental health diseases”.

According to a representative, the line has received calls for help from people finding it hard to get back to normal life due to fear of death or risk of infection, others expressing the challenges of dealing with remote work or difficulties in making decision during this times of uncertainty.

The line will be coordinated by the Portuguese Association of Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychoterapy. The calls will be received by clinical psychologists with specialized training in mental health and psychotherapy.

Adapted from: https://expresso.pt/coronavirus/2020-06-08-Camara-de-Lisboa-disponibiliz...
https://observador.pt/2020/05/27/camara-de-lisboa-lanca-esta-quarta-feir...