PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING OF TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS DURING THE FIRST WAVE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The article describes the features of psychological counselling and psychological support for tuberculosis patients during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic from April to June 2020. 625 consultations were provided remotely via the Internet or phone including toll-free emergency psychological assistance hotline, videotelephony and online chat services (WhatsApp, Viber, Skype). All the hotline calls displayed a high level of anxiety; approximately 70 per cent of the callers required informational support while the remaining 30 per cent asked for emergency psychological help. In conclusion, remote psychological counselling with the use of modern communication technologies is considered as an effective way to provide psychological support in an emergency and also a further opportunity for counselling of tuberculosis patients during the treatment for tuberculosis and other socially significant diseases.