Online support group: Ways to care for the caregivers during the pandemic

Abstract

The current world situation has put many at risk of having mental health issues, with the caregivers of mental disorders patients no exception. The pandemic has limited their access to the support they need in providing care for people with mental illnesses. Thus, a group of lecturers and students from the faculty of medicine at Universitas Sriwijaya assist families/caregivers of people with mental disorders during the pandemic through an online platform. The team screened for potential families/caregivers of mental disorder patients who went to Ernaldi Bahar Mental Hospital in Palembang, Indonesia. Twenty-four families of mental disorder patients consented to join the WhatsApp group with the doctors, who took a turn sharing varied topics weekly for 4 months (June–September 2021) through the WhatsApp messaging platform. Families found it helpful to join the group because they could interact and ask questions directly to doctors who are experts in their field, signifying that this activity is beneficial for families of people with mental disorders to increase resilience during the pandemic.