Since the emergence of the pandemic, numerous factions have succumbed to the stress and rigidity of government-imposed measures.
After all, there’s only so much we can do within four walls.
Yet, aggrieved as we were, our situations still paled in comparison to those of migrant workers.
Imagine being “confined” away from home, and unable to seek out your loved ones overseas.
That would’ve caused distress to anyone.
There Is Now a 24-hour Crisis Helpline For Mentally Distressed Migrant Workers
Thankfully, however, it seems that migrant workers now have a form of relief:
A helpful listening ear that could prove beneficial towards their mental health.
Following a successful month-long trial in August, a new crisis hotline by HealthServe has officially been launched on Friday (10 September 2021).
Apparently, more than 100 volunteers, as well as five specialists, are on board to assist the helpline.
There are also native-speaking counsellors on hand to attend to any specific inquiries.
In order to offer apt support, these volunteers and specialists have been trained in several aspects including the following:
- Empathetic listening
- Emotional support provision
- Suicide risk assessment
- Management over the phone
Nature Of Calls
Though the helpline was only piloted in August 2021, it has actually been receiving calls since January this year, with a rough average of 200 calls received per month.
Apparently, around half of the calls have been made outside office hours, between 7pm. and 10am.
And while calls were normally made by anxious migrant workers, there have also been instances wherein another party had called in.
In one particular scenario, a Singaporean had called on behalf of a migrant worker, who was allegedly suffering from anxiety and wished to kill himself.
Thankfully, the prompt intervention helped to ensure that the worst-case scenario did not occur.
In general, workers are commonly distressed over the situation back home. The COVID-19 situation actually worsened in Bangladesh and India from May to August this year.
As for others, they have suffered from a sudden change in life.
“Their general routine used to be going to work, coming back, cooking with their friends and eating together,” said Ms Durga Arivan, 40. “On Saturday, they go to the temples, go to Tekka Market, and have their favourite food.
“But nowadays, it is not the same,” she said.
Some have also become anxious over marriage-related issues. Due to the pandemic, they’ve had to put off their wedding plans.
“I had a worker whose wedding was postponed twice because of Covid, and he just totally lost it because he was getting older and his mother had passed away unexpectedly. So he was feeling like he had no future left,” Ms Durga said.
To access HealthServe 24-hour crisis helpline, one can dial in at +65 3129 5000.
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Featured Image: chainarong06/shutterstock.com ; Facebook (HealthServe)
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