UST offers free mental health services for frontliners

The mental health and wellbeing of our frontliners should also be addressed as we to fight the spread coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.

Through a group called Thomasian Mental Health Responders (MHR), the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Department of Psychology is offering free mental health services for frontliners who are “not only feeling the physical toll of their work, but also the psychological aspect of having to overcome fear while putting their health at risk.”

For those who are interested, you can:

• Register here 
• Send a on Viber or text: +639171521817
• Send a message to Thomasian MHR on Facebook

The Thomasian MHR includes licensed psychologists, licensed guidance counselors, medical doctors, psychology graduate students and allied health professionals trained in providing psychological first aid.

UST has been among one of the most responsive organizations, earlier offering free dorms, food, transportation and health care to its frontliners. It has also been producing 3D face shields, which encouraged Eat Bulaga to donate 3D printers to its cause.  

But the university on España has also been among the first to feel the blow. In March, UST Hospital put in quarantine more than 500 of its staff because of exposure to the virus. 

At least 182 people including 21 Filipino doctors have died because of COVID-19, which has infected a total of 3,870 people in the country as of Wednesday, April 8, 2020.

At the same time, many Filipinos are enduring hunger and the loss of their livelihoods due to enhanced community quarantine in Luzon which has been extended until April 30. — Margaret Claire Layug/LA, GMA News