Helpline Service Research Articles

Is COVID-19 Immune to Misinformation? A Brief Overview.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation is a major challenge, raising several social and psychological concerns. This article highlights the prevailing misinformation as an outbreak containing hoaxes, myths, and rumours. In comparison to traditional media, online media platforms facilitate misinformation even more widely. To further affirm this ethical concern, the researchers cite relevant studies demonstrating the role of new media in misinformation and its potential consequences. Besides other significant psychosocial impacts, such as xenophobia, psychological distress, LGBT rights violation, gender-based violence, misinformation is undermining healthcare workers’ psychological health and their efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. In view of the adverse consequences of misinformation, this article addresses it as a massive ethical challenge during the current outbreak. Thus, the researchers make relevant suggestions to evaluate misinformation sources and mitigate the psychosocial impacts attributed to misinformation during crises. They include forming mental health teams comprising of psychologists, psychiatrists, and trained paramedical staff; rapid dissemination of authentic and updated COVID-19 situation reports regularly; establishing helpline services; and recognizing a broader range of personal needs. All health authorities should make clear that they are listening and responding to public concerns. Much effort is needed to counteract COVID-19 misinformation.

Psychometric Analysis for fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and its association with depression in patients with diabetes: A cross sectional study from a Tertiary Care Centre in Karachi, Pakistan

Background and aimsTo assess the psychometric properties of the Fear of COVID-19 (FCV–19S) scale and to determine its associated factors among the Pakistani patients with diabetes. MethodsThis observational study was conducted in 24-h helpline service, a department of Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE). Study duration was from August to September 2020. The target population was registered adult patients with type 2 diabetes aged >16 years. Baseline demographic details were obtained from hospital management system of BIDE. Forward-backward translation method was used to translate the existing Fear scale (FCV–19S). Symptoms of depressive disorder were assessed through Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9). ResultsTotal of 380 participants with mean age 51.93 ± 12.03 years contributed in the study. Three factors loading and item correlation of fear COVID-19 explained 96% of total variance having unidimensional Cronbach’s alpha of 0.881. All demographic indicators that showed significance in univariate model were included in multivariate model. Females had more fear for COVID-19 compared to males (OR = 1.73, 95% CI (1.15–2.6)), whereas current smokers had also showed 4 times more fear than non-smokers (OR = 4.19, 95% CI (1.18–14.83). Depression assessed by PHQ9 showed maximum fear of COVID-19 in participants with moderate depression. ConclusionFCV-19S had adequate psychometric properties for assessing effects of pandemic in people with diabetes attending tertiary care center.

Trans and Gender-Diverse peoples' experiences of crisis helpline services.

Crisis helplines are typically easily accessible and deliver interventions in a timely manner, regardless of geographical location. The efficacy and user experiences of these services are the subject of considerable interest within the field, but the experiences of trans and gender-diverse individuals remain unexplored despite high rates of mental ill health being documented in this population. A total of 134 trans and gender-diverse Australians were surveyed about their experiences of personal crises and of utilising crisis helplines. Within our sample, 84.2% (n=113) of participants recognised at least one service - however, only 32.8% (n=44) utilised a service to cope with a personal crisis. Participants cited poor recognition and understanding of the challenges specific to trans and gender-diverse individuals among helpline workers as a primary reason for avoiding these services, and articulated needs which were a poor fit for the one-off intervention model commonly employed by helpline services. In order for helpline services to be viable avenues of support for trans and gender-diverse individuals during a personal crisis, helpline workers must be sufficiently equipped to work with trans and gender-diverse callers and to facilitate their enrolment in 'traditional' mental health services.

24-hour mobile phone helpline service for women discharged from mother-baby psychiatry unit (MBU): Is it possible?

24-hour mobile phone helpline service for women discharged from mother-baby psychiatry unit (MBU): Is it possible?

24-hour mobile phone helpline service for women discharged from mother-baby psychiatry unit (MBU): Is it enough?

24-hour mobile phone helpline service for women discharged from mother-baby psychiatry unit (MBU): Is it enough?

The utility of telephone helpline data for real-time syndromic surveillance of adverse events following immunization: Retrospective evaluation

Background: Vaccines are generally regarded as safe and adverse events following immunizations (AEFI) are mostly mild and self-limiting. However, serious AEFI may occur coincidentally or associated with vaccination. Possible AEFIs need to be identified and managed in a timely way to maintain public confidence in vaccines and minimize vaccine hesitancy. In most countries, passive surveillance systems predominantly employed for AEFI monitoring. However, these systems have well-known limitations, especially underreporting that have posed challenges to detect possible AEFI early. Objective: To evaluate the utility of telephone helpline data for syndromic surveillance of AEFI to augment existing systems in Victoria, Australia. Methods & Materials: Using data collected retrospectively from 1 February 2009 to 31 December 2017, weekly telephone helpline calls related to an AEFI were compared against the expected level estimated from historical data. In addition, we used the Victorian enhanced passive surveillance data as a reference to examine the timeliness of the telephone helpline data. The temporal pattern cross-correlation coefficient at different time lags was estimated as a measure of timeliness evaluation. Statistical temporal AEFI signal was examined using a statistical algorithm for monitoring count time series, specifically using the Farrington method. Results: During the study period, a total of 2,005,226 telephone calls were made to the telephone helpline service. Of these, 13,719 (0.68%) were AEFI related calls. In the same period, the Victorian enhanced passive surveillance received 10,367 AEFI reports. Cross-correlation analysis showed that the maximum positive correlation (r = 0.4) between the two datasets occurred at a negative lag of 1 week. For individual years, the cross-correlation coefficient was highest (r = 0.66) in 2010 at a negative lag of 2 weeks. Using a statistical algorithm, we were able to detect the 2010 incident of increased fever and febrile convulsions following seasonal influenza vaccination data 4 weeks earlier than it was detected at that time. Conclusion: Telephone helpline data was found to detect unusual AEFI occurrences earlier than the enhanced passive AEFI surveillance system. This study demonstrates that telephone helpline data could have promise as part of an integrated AEFI early signal detection system.

Supporting survivors of sexual violence and abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supporting survivors of sexual violence and abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Behavior of Callers to a Crisis Helpline Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Quantitative Data Analysis.

BackgroundThe World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 to be an international pandemic in March 2020. While numbers of new confirmed cases of the disease and death tolls are rising at an alarming rate on a daily basis, there is concern that the pandemic and the measures taken to counteract it could cause an increase in distress among the public. Hence, there could be an increase in need for emotional support within the population, which is complicated further by the reduction of existing face-to-face mental health services as a result of measures taken to limit the spread of the virus.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic has had any influence on the calls made to Samaritans Ireland, a national crisis helpline within the Republic of Ireland.MethodsThis study presents an analysis of calls made to Samaritans Ireland in a four-week period before the first confirmed case of COVID-19 (calls=41,648, callers=3752) and calls made to the service within a four-week period after a restrictive lockdown was imposed by the government of the Republic of Ireland (calls=46,043, callers=3147). Statistical analysis was conducted to explore any differences between the duration of calls in the two periods at a global level and at an hourly level. We performed k-means clustering to determine the types of callers who used the helpline based on their helpline call usage behavior and to assess the impact of the pandemic on the caller type usage patterns.ResultsThe analysis revealed that calls were of a longer duration in the postlockdown period in comparison with the pre–COVID-19 period. There were changes in the behavior of individuals in the cluster types defined by caller behavior, where some caller types tended to make longer calls to the service in the postlockdown period. There were also changes in caller behavior patterns with regard to the time of day of the call; variations were observed in the duration of calls at particular times of day, where average call durations increased in the early hours of the morning.ConclusionsThe results of this study highlight the impact of COVID-19 on a national crisis helpline service. Statistical differences were observed in caller behavior between the prelockdown and active lockdown periods. The findings suggest that service users relied on crisis helpline services more during the lockdown period due to an increased sense of isolation, worsening of underlying mental illness due to the pandemic, and reduction or overall removal of access to other support resources. Practical implications and limitations are discussed.

Feasibility, Acceptability and Usage Patterns of a 24-Hour Mobile Phone Helpline Service for Women Discharged from a Mother-Baby Psychiatry Unit (MBU) in India.

Background:For women with perinatal mental illness, phone helplines may be a useful way of accessing help. This study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, limitations, and usage patterns of a helpline service for mothers discharged from a mother-baby psychiatry unit.Methods:Mothers discharged from a mother baby unit during an 18-month period were provided with a helpline number. A social worker answered the calls. Details of the calls, including the reasons and the interventions provided, were recorded. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed by calling all users and nonusers. Satisfaction with the helpline was recorded among users, and reasons for not calling were assessed among nonusers.Results:Among 113 mothers, 51 (45%) made 248 calls. Calls were regarding medication, sleep problems, planning pregnancies, symptom exacerbation, appointments, and suicidal ideation. Some calls were related to domestic violence (n = 13, 5.24%), and infant health and breastfeeding (n = 11, 4.44%). Seventy-six (67%, 44 callers and 32 noncallers) were contacted. The majority (41/44) of the callers found it useful: 91% said they got help, and 95% said they would recommend it to others. However, language difficulties (9%) and technical problems (5%) were reported. Among the noncallers, the majority reported having experienced no problem related to mental health or had contacted a doctor. However, of the noncallers, one woman died of suicide, did not have access to a phone, and the family did not choose to call.Conclusions:Helpline phone service appears to be feasible and acceptable and can be adapted in other mother-baby psychiatry units in low and middle-income countries. However, in some women, the nonavailability of a phone may be a limiting factor.

Family and Mental Health During the Confinement Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: The Perspective of the Counselors Participating in Psychological Helpline Services

This work focuses on family functioning and mental health difficulties during confinement due to COVID-19 in Spain from the perspective of the counselors who collaborated in the psychological helpline services. A total of 56 helpline psychological counselors from 4 different services participated in this study. The principal results of this study highlight four important aspects: 1) the confinement has generated and/or aggravated previous family and mental health problems; 2) a lack of emotional and/or instrumental support has been the most frequent family problem; 3) anxiety symptoms and feelings of loneliness have proved to be the main manifestations of mental health problems; and 4) the resources most frequently used by the callers were knowing how to regulate their emotions, maintaining an organized life, and receiving support from their family and/or partner. The implications of these results and a description of the situation in Spain are also described.

Use of Telemedicine for Chronic Liver Disease at a Single Care Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prospective Observational Study.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 outbreak has overwhelmed and altered health care systems worldwide, with a substantial impact on patients with chronic diseases. The response strategy has involved implementing measures like social distancing, and care delivery modalities like telemedicine have been promoted to reduce the risk of transmission.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze the benefits of using telemedicine services for patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) at a tertiary care center in Italy during the COVID-19–mandated lockdown.MethodsFrom March 9 to May 3, 2020, a prospective observational study was conducted in the Liver Unit of the University Hospital of Naples Federico II to evaluate the impact of (1) a fully implemented telemedicine program, partially restructured in response to COVID-19 to include video consultations; (2) extended hours of operation for helpline services; and (3) smart-working from home to facilitate follow-up visits for patients with CLD while adhering to social distancing regulations.ResultsDuring the lockdown in Italy, almost 400 visits were conducted using telemedicine; only patients requiring urgent care were admitted to a non–COVID-19 ward of our hospital. Telemedicine services were implemented not only for follow-up visits but also to screen patients prior to hospital admission and to provide urgent evaluations during complications. Of the nearly 1700 patients with CLD who attended a follow-up visit at our Liver Unit, none contracted COVID-19, and there was no need to alter treatment schedules.ConclusionsTelemedicine was a useful tool for following up patients with CLD and for reducing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This system of health care delivery was appreciated by patients since it gave them the opportunity to be in contact with physicians while respecting social distancing rules.

CN32 University Hospital Ghent Cancer centre nurse-led e-health support in cancer care during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Results of a single centre observation

The University Hospital Ghent Cancer Center offers specialised cancer nurse-led support for cancer care services in the hospital to optimise comprehensive care and psychosocial support for patients with cancer and their loved ones. Beside face-to-face consultations this includes telephone and e-mail helpline services answered by specialised cancer nurses. These services offer general and specific cancer care information, education and psychosocial support. For specific questions, this service offers comprehensive triage and referral to other members of the multidisciplinary cancer care team or specific care services.

The pattern of crisis calls to a suicide telephone helpline service in Nigeria

Background: Suicide is the deliberate killing of oneself. Although it is preventable, suicide accounts for over 800,000 global deaths annually. There is the need to scale-up prevention strategies, and one of these strategies is the provision of suicide telephone helplines. Objectives: To describe the pattern of calls received by a suicide telephone helpline and the types of intervention provided in a Nigerian facility. Methods: This was a descriptive study of the first 100 completed calls received on a 24-hour suicide telephone helpline service by trained responders. Results: All the calls emanated from 14 states of the federation, with the majority (83.0%) from the Southern parts of the country. The reasons for the telephone calls varied from crisis situations (47.0%) to telephone number-verification (27.0%), mental health information (20.0%), and others (6.0%). The mean age of the crisis -situation callers was 25.8 years, with a slight female preponderance (53.2%); most were single in marital status (68.1%) and unemployed (70.2%). A majority (72.3%) of the callers had an underlying mental condition, 68.1% had suicidal ideation while 12.8% had previously attempted suicide. All the crisis callers were offered interventions ranging from phone counselling to linkage to the nearest mental health services. Conclusion: A majority of the crisis callers were offered mental health services, raising the possibility that the availability of telephone helplines may play a role in suicide prevention in Nigeria.

Calls to helplines in Australia following media reports of Robin Williams' suicide.

In the United States, there was an increase in calls to helplines following media reporting of Robin Williams' suicide. We aimed to determine whether this was the case in Australia. The helpline services Lifeline and Beyond Blue provided us with weekly data on calls received for 2013-2015. We conducted interrupted time series regression analyses to determine whether there was an increase in the average weekly number of calls received by each helpline in two periods after the story about Williams' suicide broke (1 week and 4 weeks). We found strong evidence of an increase in calls to Lifeline (incidence rate ratio [IRR]=1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.02-1.25; p=0.016) and Beyond Blue (IRR=1.32; 95% CI=1.09-1.59; p=0.004) in the week after Williams' suicide was first reported. We found no evidence of higher than normal call volumes for Lifeline (IRR=1.04; 95% CI=0.99-1.10; p=0.104) or Beyond Blue (IRR=1.10; 95% CI=1.00-1.22; p=0.058) over the four weeks following Williams' death, however, suggesting that calls leveled out over this period. Suicide prevention experts and media professionals must work together to minimize the negative impacts of reports on suicide and maximize their positive ones. In cases where the story is likely to receive extensive international coverage, it may be important for local media to encourage help-seeking.

Public Perception towards Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122): A Case Study of District Multan, Punjab, Pakistan

The objective of the present study was to examine the public opinion towards Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122 among general community. A total number of 600 respondents including both males and females from six towns of Multan District participated in this study through convenient sampling. Structured interview schedule was used as a tool for data collection from respondents. A 5-point likert type scale very satisfied=1; somewhat satisfied=2; Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied=3; somewhat Dissatisfied=4; Dissatisfied=5 was used to gather responses from the general public. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the data in frequency distribution, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. The data was analyzed through Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) 24 version. Results indicated that majority 95% of the respondent swereaware about the services of Punjab emergency rescue 1122. Mostly 75% of the respondents reported that they were satisfied with the services provided by rescue 1122.The Respondents were satisfied with the behavior and first aid services provided by rescue 1122 department. About 52% respondents expressed that they were satisfied with the way of shifting by the rescue workers. Themajority 61% of the respondents weresatisfied with the free helpline service of Rescue 1122 department. The majority 72% of the respondents fully appreciated the initiative of Punjab Government to establish Rescue services for general public. About 58% respondents showed their interest to adopt Punjab emergency rescue 1122 department as a profession.Overall, people were satisfied by the services of Punjab emergency rescue 1122 department. There is a need to extend its services in other provinces.

COVID-19 and Domestic Violence: A Possible Public Health Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown to mitigate the spread of the pandemic has led to social isolation, reduced social support system and increased cases of domestic violence against women. The United Nations and other international and national agencies speculate further increase in it and have suggested governments to take appropriate action to safeguard the health and human rights of women. Many governments have also taken steps and working towards it by starting helpline and counselling services. This article reviews the concerns raised by these agencies, interventions introduced and its future implications. It also argues that apart from reported cases of domestic violence and its negative consequences on individuals and families, it would be interesting to study the positive impact of living together as this pandemic is different from other emergencies. The sociologist Marianne Hester argued that ‘domestic violence goes up whenever families spend more time together’. It would be interesting to study and examine it in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. This article also suggests the need for further research to understand the reason and dynamics of such violence considering men and women both are engaged in such violence against each other and bear its consequences together.

Achieving safer Ramadan fasting by keeping flexible glycemic targets during the day and tighter targets during the night in insulin treated people with type 2 diabetes

AimTo observe the effect of keeping flexible glycemic targets during fasting and tighter targets during non-fasting hours in insulin-treated people with type 2 diabetes during Ramadan. MethodsThis prospective study was conducted at Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology in 2014. People with T2DM on split mixed insulin therapy were recruited. The pre-Ramadan education given and insulin doses were adjusted before Ramadan. 24-hour telephonic helpline service was provided to achieve pre-determined glycemic targets and minimize complications. ResultsA total of 54 people with T2DM with a mean age of 54.65 ± 9.32 years were recruited. Mean glucose levels achieved were 183.50 ± 30.91 mg/dl and 179.20 ± 36.27 mg/dl during the day and night respectively. Mean HbA1c (p-value < 0.0001) and serum creatinine (p-value 0.0010) significantly improved at the end of Ramadan. 0.6% episodes of hypoglycemia including one major hypoglycemia while 30% of episodes of hyperglycemia were recorded. No hospitalization needed. ConclusionBy keeping flexible glycemic targets during the day and tighter targets during the night, safe fasting was feasible with significant improvement in overall glycemic control without significant major complications.

Socioeconomic deprivation and social capital in kinship carers using a helpline service

AbstractKinship care is the preferred alternative for children who cannot remain with their birth family, maintaining birth family links and continuity in other parts of their life. However, kinship care has also been associated with risk factors including lack of support, difficult contact with biological parents, adverse childhood experiences for the child, carer stress and financial difficulties. Using routine data from a kinship care helpline service, this study employed a mixed‐method analysis of the association between socioeconomic deprivation and risk factors reported by kinship carers and explored social capital in kinship families. Findings indicated common risk factors experienced by kinship families regardless of deprivation level. However, certain risk factors were reported more in areas of high or low socioeconomic deprivation. Mapping the social capital of kinship families indicated that kinship families connect more with relatives than other types of informal, semi‐formal or formal support services. However, these relationships are often problematic. The most prominent obstacle to social capital growth in kinship carers was financial difficulties. Our findings suggest that kinship carers may use support services differentially according to deprivation level, and socioeconomic deprivation may influence building social capital in kinship families.

The pandemic paradox: The consequences of COVID‐19 on domestic violence

The pandemic paradox: The consequences of COVID‐19 on domestic violence

Role of 24-hour Helpline Service in the Management of Diabetes During the Holy Month of Ramadan.

ObjectiveTo assess the role of the 24-hour helpline service in the management of diabetes during the holy month of Ramadan.MethodologyThis prospective study was conducted at the Baqai Institute of Diabetology & Endocrinology, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan, between December 2017 and August 2018. Patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who were willing to observe the fast in Ramadan 2018 were included. Pre-Ramadan education on a one-to-one basis was given and the 24-hour helpline number was provided to each patient. Details of baseline characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical parameters (lipid profile, serum creatinine, urine D/R (protein), and glycated hemoglobin A1c pre- and post-Ramadan) were noted. Self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) recording books were provided to each patient to record blood sugar levels during Ramadan.ResultsA total of 102 patients, 41 (40.2%) with type 1 diabetes and 61 (59.8%) with type 2 diabetes were included. The mean age of patients with type 1 diabetes was 17.02±5.22 years and that of patients with type 2 diabetes was 49.48±9.68 years. Most of the patients were male in both groups. By using the 24-hour helpline service, 912 calls were made to patients, 502 calls for type 1, and 410 calls for type 2 diabetes. Mean HbA1c (%) level before and after Ramadan was 8.94±1.72 and 8.70±2.03 in patients with type 1 diabetes and 8.59±1.73 and 7.71±1.27 in patients with type 2 diabetes, respectively. In the last 10 days of Ramadan, the decreasing trends of mean self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) in patients with type 1 diabetes was observed for pre-dawn meal (suhoor), pre-sunset meal (iftar), and before sleeping while this trend in type 2 diabetes was found in the pre-dawn meal (suhoor)and two hours after iftar.ConclusionPre-Ramadan diabetes education and treatment adjustment by using a station-based, 24-hour helpline service during the holy month of Ramadan have a significant role in controlling blood sugar levels, thus minimizing the complications of diabetes, facilitating timely adjustments in treatment, and reducing unnecessary hospital visits and admissions.