Online mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: Identify users, services, and reasons for seeking online mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive, retrospective study, with documentary analysis of medical records of users served between April and July 2020. Results: Of the 258 accesses, 159 were complete, and 99 were offline messages. Although there were 61 (38.36%) consultations in May, in April, there were 49 (30.82%) in 18 days of reception. More than 89% of accesses were women between 40 and 59 years. Among the motivations in the search for care, anxiety, fear, depression, sadness, crying, stress, and suicidal ideation stand out. Final considerations: Chat is a quick, early and short-wait intervention opportunity for people in need of mental health care. Therefore, the study emphasizes the importance of investing in the training of nursing professionals to act in mental health.