Erjing Cui, a psychotherapist in Seattles, USA, is a volunteer for a hotline that advises health workers fighting nCoV.

A nurse called to complain about a constant headache. A doctor said he felt he was ostracized by the public even though he was working hard to save patients from the disease. Another person called to talk about her suicide attempt.

Volunteers at Yong Xin Kang Yi (Anti-Immune Center - Fighting hearts), a hotline for health workers who are overworked and over-stressed on the anti-nCoV frontline in China, listen to it all.

"Our principle is to always share our feelings with them," said Erjing Cui, 28, who was not involved. "The most important thing we try to do is give them the space to share, listen to all their thoughts and understand and empathize with them."

Cui is just one of many mental health professionals who are working to share the emotional burden and psychological pressure with doctors and nurses who are fighting the epidemic every day.

In China alone, hundreds of hotlines have been set up by universities, local authorities and mental health organizations to provide help to the frontline anti-epidemic medical team.

However, China is seriously inadequate in providing high quality mental health services, with an average of only 2.2 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, equal to a fifth of the US, according to data from the Health Organization. International.

Cui, who was born and raised in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China, is not the only North American therapist who works as a volunteer for the Center for Pandemic Resistance.

The Center for Antibiotic was established in late January after Bo Zhu, a doctor at a hospital in Wuhan, a psychiatric Covid-19, and Hui Cao, a professor of psychology in Beijing, arose with anxiety. on the mental health of anti-epidemic health workers. The organization currently has about 300 volunteers, including therapists, doctors and other people involved in community outreach work.

Usually, the Anti-Immunization Center will connect the caller with a therapist. They also have a messaging function on the WeChat platform. In chat groups with hundreds of participants, the therapist will share meditation exercises, stories and calming music, such as Beethoven's "Sonata Moonlight".

Every day, the Center for Disease Control receives 15-20 calls, about 40% of which come from health workers. Initially, they mostly received calls from people who were worried about the virus. Now, after a few weeks, therapists often hear from doctors and nurses, saying they feel stressed, tired and helpless.

Working time is too long, being separated from family and the shortage of medical supplies adds to the pressures they face. Even wearing protective clothing has started to become a burden for some people.

Health officials say patients sometimes scold and get angry at them. Outside, many people shun them for fear of spreading the virus.

"We are seeing physicians increasingly psychologically exhausted," Cui said. "They do everything they can but don't feel respected."

When Cui received the phone, she always let the caller express all the emotions they were containing. You can give specific suggestions if the person on the other line accepts. But according to Cui, conversations like this cannot replace professional psychotherapy sessions.

Cui, who lived in the United States for more than 10 years, always felt responsible for helping his home country to cope with the disease from the very beginning. She thought of backing the mask when she saw the call on WeChat.

After each call, the therapist is charged with writing the report. Regular video meetings give them the opportunity to exchange information and experience with other colleagues.

In particularly painful moments, such as the death of Ly Van Luong, the first doctor to warn about the nCoV, the volunteers gathered together online to encourage each other.

"If I were not in this group, I would have a hard time dealing with it myself," Cui said. "I think this is what I should do."