Over five years of operation, the hotline for first psychological aid and the psychosocial support chat-bot, established by the Russian Red Cross, have provided assistance to more than 250 000 people facing challenging life circumstances. Launched in 2020, both services have since become essential tools for supporting people in crisis, gently guiding individuals through stress, anxiety, loss, and the complexities of relationships.
The Russian Red cross chat-bot was launched in March 2020 and since then, it has responded to over 170 thousand requests. Every month, specialists assist between 2 500 and 2800 individuals. More than 320 psychologists lend their expertise to the chat-bot, delivering initial psychological support in text format. Both adults (54%) and teenagers (46%) seek help through the service. The main topics of conversation include stress and coping with it, relationships, parent-child conflicts, loss and grief, suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem, fears and the tangles of communication struggles. In moments of deep crisis, specialists promptly help individuals stabilize their condition, and, if necessary, softly encouraging the path to medical care.
“A significant number of individuals facing challenging circumstances, particularly those of the younger generation, feel anxious about telephone conversations. They find it more manageable to compose a written message, as this affords them greater comfort, the opportunity to deliberate the words, and freedom from concerns about vocal tremors. It is for this precise reason that we developed a psychological assistance chat-bot. This tool is of particular importance to young people accustomed to communicating via messaging platforms, as well as to those enduring such profound stress that a telephone conversation appears an overwhelming process. And that is okay. The main thing is to ensure that support is accessible in a manner that aligns with an individual’s preferences. We are truly delighted that over the past five years, we have established a system wherein every person can access assistance in a format that suits for them, without fear of judgment or evaluation”, stated the Executive Director of the Russian Red Cross, Maria Muhina.
Over the period, the psychological support hotline has received and processed more than 80 thousand calls. Initially, the dedicated line was established by the team of the Psychosocial Support Service of the Saint-Petersburg regional branch of RRC, subsequently, it was joined by volunteer operators from 41 regions. Psychologists provided assistance during the pandemic, aiding individuals in coping with the mental health consequences of terrorist attacks, technological disasters, and other crisis events. Currently, the most frequent inquiries relate to crisis situations, including the aftermath of the Ukrainian crisis. Furthermore, the hotline emerged as a vital resource, notably for individuals with mental health disorders seeking support.
Support is available daily: The Russian Red Cross chat-bot operates from 9:00 to 00:00 Moscow time (https://t.me/psy_rrc_bot), while the hotline accepts calls from 7:00 to 22:00. Assistance is provided anonymously and free of charge.
