The atmosphere of panic and uncertainty created by the coronavirus outbreak in Israel has spurred many to seek mental health support. ERAN, a nationwide crisis hotline, is reporting thousands of calls from anxious Israelis over the last few days.
A few days ago, ERAN (Emotional First Aid by Telephone and Internet) and the Israeli Trauma Coalition – in anticipation of an increase in phone calls from people under quarantine – launched a hotline dedicated to providing assistance for coronavirus-related issues.
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Natalie Fischler, 55, has volunteered with ERAN for two years. Over the past week, she has fielded dozens of calls from people panicked over the virus outbreak.
"People are shutting themselves off and are lonelier. There are also callers with mental health issues, who have lower stress thresholds and their anxiety is greater. There is also a lot of unreliable information floating around, causing people to worry," Fischer said.
"Our role is to listen and calm people down, as well as provide accurate information about what is happening, that's not based on rumors," she added.
ERAN Executive Director David Koren said, "Since we launched the corona hotline, there have been thousands of calls from Israelis feeling pressured or distressed."
Koren is urging the public not to hesitate to ask for help.
On Sunday, Nitzan (the Israeli Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities) launched a hotline for children and parents who need help from its experts in dealing with psychological or educational issues.
Hotline numbers
Eran: 1202
Nitzan 03-537-2266
