The National Mental Health Support Line, launched in July 2021, will continue to be available to anyone who needs the help of experts with their mental problems. The Ministry of Health decided to operate it until the end of September 2023.
The Ministry of Health originally established National mental health support line in the framework of implementation of measures of the Plan of Recovery and Resilience of the Slovak Republic in the field of mental health promotion in July 2021 for a period of 12 months as a measure to eliminate the consequences of the pandemic on mental health. Finally, the activity of the line was extended as mental health care is one of the priorities of the health department and the need to support this area has proven to be very important as a result of the events of the recent years of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the conflict in Ukraine.
The National Mental Health Support Line operates on working days from 14.00 to 22.00 and on weekends and holidays from 10.00 to 18.00. Anyone who needs advice and guidance from an experienced psychologist can call.
The number of the National Mental Health Support Line is 0800 193 193.
The line offers online psychological advice to provide anonymous and distance communication in the provision of mental health care services. It provides a safe space to talk about uncertainty, concerns or psychological problems in times of pandemic consequences, current military conflict in Ukraine, or other uncertainties brought about by the current times. Experts also provide support to healthcare professionals who experience excessive burdens and are subject to increased likelihood of developing stress-related psychological disorders. They will advise callers in managing acute stress reactions or symptoms of developing post-traumatic stress responses to extreme stress events.
Number of calls with Monthly ranges 300 - 370 callers. The call length is not limited in time, the caller can talk out of his problems, the call often takes 30-60 minutes depending on the problems that bother him. For many psychiatric patients, this brings a stabilising effect, as they are given sufficient room for discussion. Many call repeatedly, trust between counselor and client is created.
The most common problems facing citizens are, for example, panic attacks, loneliness, insecurity, difficult-to-treat health problems, anxiety and depression, but it is also about getting information about mental disorders due to suffering relatives. People also struggle with social inclusion difficulties, misunderstandings on the part of the community, burnout syndrome, family relationship problems, conflicts, and possible suicidal tendencies.
The public can also learn about the activities of the line in the newsletter, which was also translated into the Ukrainian language and distributed to facilities providing psychological/psychiatric care. At the same time, a range of professionally relevant offices and hospitals have been identified, offering cooperation in the care of caller clients to resolve their problems with which the consultants actively cooperate on the line.