As of November 19, 2020, the “Psychological Support Line” for citizens affected by the war, operating under the Social Services Agency of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population, has commenced its operation.
“The Psychological Support Line” provides psychological services to military personnel who participated in the Patriotic War, which ended with our victory, their relatives, martyr families, as well as to individuals who lost loved ones as a result of enemy terror attacks and are experiencing deep trauma.
Psychologist Vusala Amiraslanova, Chair of the "Ahang" Public Association for Psychological Development and Support, stated in her comments to Modern.az that currently, the number of citizen applications for such support continues to decrease:
“Currently, such psychological support continues for martyr and veteran families. This is possible both through state channels and private initiatives”.
The psychologist emphasized that there are almost no applications from individuals whose close relatives were not directly harmed. Such applications continued intensively for 2 years after the war and then gradually subsided:
“However, applications from martyr and veteran families continue. Sometimes veterans themselves hesitate to apply. In many cases, their close relatives inform us of the situation. This is related to a mental characteristic”.
Vusala Amiraslanova stated that the majority of patients are women:
“We have provided psychological support to hundreds of veteran and martyr families. In comparison, civilians whose close relatives were not directly harmed have been fewer (editor's note: 60-70 people to date). Among individuals experiencing psychological distress, some have suffered acutely. We have referred them to a psychiatrist. For individuals who refused, continuing the session was not deemed appropriate".
The psychologist noted that, in general, psychological changes in people have become more active after the coronavirus pandemic.
"Our people possess an emotional characteristic. I recommend that they refrain from sharp reactions. One should not overload the brain with unnecessary information. It is necessary to protect oneself from negative conversations. Citizens should know that not all information is true. A significant portion of it is disinformation. I reiterate that it should be taken into account that almost everyone is considered a vulnerable group after the pandemic. Even psychologists themselves undergo continuous development against this”.
