Caller Concerns and Mental Distress during COVID-19: Findings from a Counselling Helpline in India

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed a range of mental health and psychosocial concerns across the globe, necessitating a response. Given the mobility restrictions during the pandemic, helplines emerged as an accessible and effective measure to address these concerns. The present paper analyses call documentation of the first 500 calls received during the pandemic by iCALL, a national level helpline from India. Findings revealed that 70.4 percent of callers were male and 36 percent were in the age group of 18-30 years. A significantly higher number of calls were made by men for practical concerns, and by women for concerns related to prior history of psychiatric diagnosis, suicidality, and relationship issues. Case narratives highlighted the psychosocial stressors and the resulting mental distress experienced by communities in general and vulnerable groups such as migrants, daily wage earners, women survivors of violence, LGBTQ individuals, and individuals with disability in particular. The study findings provide useful insights into the mental health impact of COVID-19 pandemic, psychosocial needs of the communities, and in turn, informing strategies and interventions to address the same.