Maria João Heitor, the director of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Department (DPSM) and of the Psychiatry Service from Hospital Beatriz Ângelo (HBA) is, since March 7, the president of the Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health for the 2020-2022 triennium. In the present situation of COVID-19 pandemics, one of the priorities at the beginning of this term is the special support to “those people more vulnerable in terms of mental health and to health professionals, administration and management”, who deal with this problem on a daily basis. “This is a particularly difficult period of public health threat, posing physical, personal, social and emotional challenges to health professionals and the general public”, highlights Maria João Heitor in a statement to “Just News”. The psychiatrist further alerts that people with severe mental disease and mental disability “have difficulties at the level of protection measures in social distancing”. “At HBA, a DPSM team is prepared to give support to professionals at two levels: “measures of positive mental health and welfare promotion” (introduced in daily routine and including, among others, brief sessions of movement, breathing and relaxation, with an occupational therapist that goes to the different services) and a mobile phone line of mental and emotional support for psychology and psychiatry. It is essential to “implement quite simple actions that help to prevent physical and emotional exhaustion (burnout) and increase resilience, that is, the capacity to overcome in an adaptive way the stress and adversity, maintaining at the same time a psychological and physical functioning as normal as possible”. Also the patients and family, in HBA inpatient service, will receive the particular attention of Psychiatry, Pedopsychiatry and Psychology of Connection. “In ambulatory regimen, we provide teleconsultation and in-person support, when necessary. And we will articulate with the ACES (healthcare centre groupings) in the HBA areas of influence, the responses to people under quarantine or already infected, but remaining at home”, she adds. In the scope of intervention on COVID-19, the Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health has already joined the project Cuidar de quem Cuida (To take Care of Carers), a program of psychiatric consultations by video call for health professionals, that are ensured by voluntary psychiatrists. This initiative is a partnership gathering the School of Medicine from Universidade do Minho, the National Program for Mental Health of the General Directorate for Health, the Portuguese Association of Doctors, the Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health (SPPSM) and the Portuguese Association of Psychiatry Internists (APIP). The logistic support is ensured by Centro de Medicina Digital P5. Cuidar de quem Cuida
