Name/Title of Project:
Faceless Heroes
Objective of Program to be Supported:
Our aim is to provide mental support to health workers who have been on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic for over a year. It has been an extremely stressful year and a half for professionals, who have fought and continue to fight for the lives of our loved ones battling COVID – far from their own families. They are our heroes, rendered faceless by protective gear, physically and mentally exhausted in their efforts to assist and heal the seriously ill. Providing them psychological and moral support is therefore of paramount importance now and in the long term.
The need and the problem we offer a solution to in the project:
Even before Covid-19, there had been abundant research demonstrating that health workers are more stressed than other professions, which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. In addition to having to deal with the loss of lives on a daily basis (where some professionals had previously not been exposed to such scenarios), the constant need to be on duty, worrying about their own loved ones, and the possibility of being transferred, are also stress factors. Our research carried out in cooperation with ELTE University clearly shows that stress, fatigue, burnout, sleep disturbances, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) are becoming more common and more severe.
Activities planned in the project with expected schedule:
How health workers deal with the stressors of the Covid-19 pandemic is a very important question – the stigmatisation of seeking mental health support and the novelty of the situation where it is the helpers and care givers themselves who require help are also among the issues we need to address. We want to help these professionals to get through these incredibly stressful times not only in the present, but also to help them and their families in the longer term, once the pandemic is over, to cope with all they have been through; be it trauma or a combination of psychological issues. Expected timeline:
Online crisis consultation from July 2021
Online psychotherapy from July 2021
From July 2021 onwards, Balint groups (problem-oriented case discussion groups focusing on the doctor-caregiver and patient-client relationship, emotionally charged cases and situations.)
August to December 2021: relaxation and educational videos
March 2022 – program evaluation and closure
Planned total project budget, in brief (types and amounts of costs):
online crisis consultation: 8.000 HUF/person/session (1 person max. 4 sessions)
online psychotherapy: 8.000 HUF/person/session (1 person max. 20 sessions)
Balint Group
relaxation video
educational video
Project budget: 1.5 million HUF
This depends to a large extent on the kind of mental health support the person needs – whether online crisis counselling is enough or whether online psychotherapy is also needed.
Around HUF 1 million would be used for online crisis counselling and psychotherapy. This would enable us to provide mental health support to between 15 and 30 healthcare workers. 500,000 HUF for Balint groups, relaxation, and educational videos.
Planned use of the donations raised at Swimathon:
We aim to raise at least HUF 1.5 million through the Swimathon. We would use the money according to the needs of the applicants – providing online crisis counselling for health professionals, 20 psychotherapy sessions on an ongoing basis, and a Balint group for hospital wards. Part of the funding would be used for program coordination, and we would continue to produce relaxation videos, along with educational videos to help health workers identify the type of help they need. If we manage to raise more funds, we will be able to provide more health care workers with the mental health support they need.
What impact we hope from the implementation of the project and how we wish to measure it?
We want to reduce the resistance to seeking mental health support among healthcare workers, and to overcome the role conflicts experienced by helpers and care givers in seeking support through educational videos. Our follow-up research carried out in co-operation with ELTE will allow us to monitor the mental health of health workers in the coming period. At the individual level, therapists will be able to report on this, anonymously of course.
Name and organisation of the civil organisation implementing the project:
Medicine on the Spot Foundation (MedSpot Foundation)
The name of our Foundation, Medicine on the Spot or MedSpot reflects our desire to provide medical help where it is most needed. We primarily provide healthcare and assistance to people who need a unique medical and mental health approach (e.g., autism spectrum disorder), or who are excluded from the community care system for some reason (being homeless or refugees) or who would have great difficulty accessing its services (Covid-19 counselling for the elderly).
Organisational data
Name: Medicine on the Spot Foundation (MedSpot Foundation)
Registered seat: 1025 Budapest, Páfrány u. 23/b., Hungary
Date and number of court registration: 2016., 01-01-0012374
Tax number: 18903379-1-41
Website: www.medspot.hu
Name and contact of contact person: Mester-Bartanics Vanda (orvosisegitseg@medspot.hu; +36 70 775 0273)