Long-distance psychosocial interventions during the COVID-19 outbreak

Masoomeh Maarefvand

University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Iranian Scientific Association of Social Work, Tehran, Iran

Somaye Noshadi 

Iranian Scientific Association of Social Work, Tehran, Iran

Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranAmidst the crisis of COVID-19 pandemic in Iran in 2020, Iranian Scientific Association of Social Work launched Long Distance Psychosocial Interventions (LDPI). Stress-reduction, helping clients to adapt to living in quarantine, conflict resolution and violence prevention among family members, providing bereavement counseling for persons who lost their loved one, helping parents to learn how to interact with their children in outbreak condition were main goals of LDPI project. LDPI workers conducted crisis management to respond to the people’s psychosocial needs. It showcases the significance of tele-counseling during pandemic situation and crisis response, uncovering an understudied field in the global South.