Psychosocial Counselling for COVID-19 Positive Patients and their Family Members

Objective:     Psychosocial Counselling, providing correct scientific information, emotional and mental support for COVID-19 Positive Patients and their Family Members

 

Venue:          Zoom Platform

Participants: 150 NSS Program Officers of various universities

 

COVID-19 has instilled fears in the minds of the community because of severe morbidity, mortality and efficacy of high transmission. Therefore, anxiety to self-infection and passing the infection to friends, families and co-workers emerges as an emergency. The constant fear of getting the infection has lead to the development of mental stress. People with an already existing mental health condition may feel even more distressed, and there can be an increase in their problems.

While preventive and medical action is the most important, emergency psychological crisis interventions for people affected by COVID-19 are also critical. It will be essential to make a family member or primary contact of a COVID positive patient aware, provide correct scientific knowledge and psychosocial first aid in the form of emotional and mental support in a culturally appropriate manner.

On 17^th May 2021, a Workshop was organized by the MGNCRE Literary on the topic ‘Guidance for Psychosocial Counselling for COVID-19 Positive Patients and their Family Members ’. The session was conducted on the zoom platform and was streamed on the Zoom platform in which around 150 NSS Program Officers of various universities participated.

Day 1

Speaker Dr. Vijayalalitha Srinivasa truly conducted the workshop in good spirit. The workshop began at 10 am and went on up to 5.30 pm. Mr. WG Prasanna Kumar gave an introductory speech about the workshop. Instructions were given to participants regarding how to proceed with the execution of the workshop learnings in the next 4 days.

Sessions covered topics like Steps for the helper, skills required, principles and qualities required etc. Speaker made clear with extensive examples how listening, observation, support and empathy are important at the initial stage of helping covid 19 patients. The speaker equally guided and trained the participants in responding with paraphrasing, genuineness and transparency.

 

In the second session, the speaker gave out the required information regarding solving the problems and worries faced by the patients through providing rightful genuine information, clarifying myths and misconceptions about COVID 19. Then there was a discussion on identifying the negative thoughts and how to challenge them with suitable case studies that were extensively done.

Day 2, 3 and 4

Conceptualized ideas of the workshop were delivered to NSS volunteers of Dayananda Sagar Business Academy by conducting a zoom session online. The invite link for the session is as follows:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2028920306?pwd=jawQQtecp1WlmAdRMfxp7VGfkvMB8g

The PPTs of the workshop and the process charts were duly explained to the volunteers. Their queries were duly answered as they were worried about adhering to social distancing norms. Later there was a discussion on building ways to contact patients and government agencies for further support.

After receiving the guidance and training from the NSS Program Officer Prof Rajani D K, the NSS volunteers enthusiastically took up this opportunity to contribute their best for the good of society. As the first step, all of them contacted friends and relatives affected with COVID 19  and who are going through difficult times.

The volunteers with a non-judgmental attitude and empathy talked with people affected with COVID 19, tried their best to understand their problems, provided correct scientific knowledge, and clarified myths and misconceptions about COVID 19. They suggested staying motivated, maintain a healthy lifestyle and inculcate the habits like yoga, meditation and positive affirmation enumerating their importance.