Nanjing has increased mental health services as the city with a population of more than 9.3 million tightens restrictive measures to stem spike in COVID-19 infections.
Li Qijun, who once led the province’s 11th medical team to assist Hubei Province hit hard by the pandemic, said it’s necessary to improve the public awareness of mental health and especially help those vulnerable to be vigilant about COVID-19 misinformation. Different platforms, such as WeChat public accounts, short videos and leaflets, should be used actively in helping the public to understand and also comply with restrictive measures.
Li, also director of medical psychology department at Nanjing Brain Hospital, said there’s also a need for the public to look after their health, choose a healthy lifestyle, and become aware of the increased stress or related mental health issues in the fight against COVID-19.
Nanjing now has three ways to quickly help the public cope with mental health issues. Nanjing Brain Hospital offers a 24-hour hotline, 025-83712977. Hotlines by mental health volunteers, including Teacher Tao Hotline (025-96111), which mainly offers free psychological service to students from middle and primary school, now coordinate to provide more psychological consultations. Residents can also dial the government service hotline 12345 and ask for mental health services, which will be forwarded to service providers in Jiangsu and other regions in the Yangtze River Delta.
