Calling for help-peer-based psychosocial support for medical staff by telephone-A best practice example from Germany
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: A telephone support hotline (PSU-HELPLINE) was established at the beginning of the pandemic due to the burden on health professionals and the lack of support at the workplace. The aim of this study was to evaluate the telephone support service for health professionals in terms of its burden, benefits, and mechanisms of action. METHODS: Data collection was conducted during and after calls by PSU-HELPLINE counsellors. In addition to the socio-demographic data evaluation, burdens of the callers and the benefits of the calls were collected. The content-analytical evaluation of the stresses as well as the effect factors were based on Mayring's (2022). RESULTS: Most of the callers were highly to very highly stressed. The usefulness of the conversation was rated as strong to very strong by both callers and counsellors. The PSU-HELPLINE was used primarily for processing serious events and in phases of overload. The support work was carried out through the following aspects of so-called effect factors, among others: psychoeducation, change of perspective, resource activation, problem actualization, connectedness, information, problem solving, self-efficacy, and preservation of resources. CONCLUSIONS: The expansion of local peer support structures and the possibility of a telephone helpline are recommended. Further research is needed.
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- Authors
- Hinzmann, D., Forster, A., Koll-Krüsmann, M., Schießl, A., Schneider, F., Sigl-Erkel, T., Igl, A., & Heininger, S. K.
- Affiliations
- TUM Klinikum (DE)
- Association for Psychosocial Competence and Support in Acute Care-PSU-Akut, 81373 Munich, Germany
- Corresponding author
- Hinzmann, Dominik
- Venue
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2022-11-22
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 23
- Pages
- 15453
- ISSN
- 1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC9737483
- OpenAlex
- W4309589077
- Cited by
- 11
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 1.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- mediaTUM (Technical University of Munich) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- mediaTUM (Technical University of Munich) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Prof. Otto Beisheim Stiftung (0015/201)
- Berufsgenossenschaft für Gesundheitsdienst und Wohlfahrtspflege (BGW): Scientific monitoring of selected PSU-Akut offers: peer training & PSU HELPLINE (0015/201)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Burnout
- Keywords
- peer support, telephone helpline, healthcare workers, COVID-19 pandemic, occupational stress, burnout, psychosocial support, peer counseling, influencing factors, psychoeducation, self-efficacy, connectedness, resource activation
- MeSH terms
- Psychosocial Support Systems, Counseling, Humans, Medical Staff, Telephone, Hotlines
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