ANALYSIS OF INQUIRIES FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL COUNSELLING SERVICES AND SUPPORT IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19

Abstract

Authors of the article analyze inquiries of populations in crisis for social and psychological counselling and support, in particular, associated with domestic and gender-based violence, in the regions of Ukraine which suffer the most due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample includes individuals who receive social services provided by state agencies and civil society organizations in different cities of Ukraine, namely, in different territorial communities. The number of respondents selected among clients of social services providers was 357 people. The survey method has provided authors with better understanding of services delivered to these populations, and which of them were in demand; impact of COVID-19 pandemic on families of social services recipients; needs of residents of communities and major providers of social and psychological services in these communities. Findings of the study: increased number of conflicts in families; increased number of people who seek social and psychological counselling and support due to domestic violence; predominance of individual counselling services over other social services; low rates of family counselling and group work with all family members; the need to increase the number of specialists who provide services and social and psychological support to survivors of domestic violence; the need to improve preventive measures and public awareness activities to combat negative phenomena and, simultaneously, prevent domestic violence, both in small communities and at the regional level. It was found that it is appropriate to increase the number of providers of social and psychological counselling and support to survivors of domestic violence. It was also found that social support is considered to be an effective type of social service when working with survivors. The study was conducted during 2020 within the project "Gender-sensitive emergency assistance to overcome the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis and strengthen gender equality in Ukraine" implemented by the ICF "Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health" with support of UNFPA.