Online mental health resources in Wuhan amid the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of social workers

ABSTRACT In Wuhan, a surge of online mental health services appeared amid the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the rapidly escalating demands. This article presents a snapshot of the available services and further categorises them into individual, organisational, governmental and international levels. The contribution and limitations of these services are analysed, and the role of social workers in the provision and integration of these services is reflected through a conceptual model. The proposed model as a response at this critical time not only facilitates the discussion on how mental health services in China should be adjusted and further developed in the post-COVID 19 era but also provides important strategies for other countries that are struggling with the delivery of mental health services amongst this public health crisis.网络精神健康服务在武汉新冠疫情期间涌现, 以回应不断快速上升的需求。这篇文章首先呈现了一幅这些服务的掠影, 进而将其分类为个人、组织、政府, 以及国际等不同层面。本文分析了这些服务的贡献和不足, 并通过一个概念模型反思社会工作者在提供和整合这些服务中的角色。该模型回应疫情关键时期的需要, 推动了关于中国精神健康服务在后疫情时代如何进一步调整发展的讨论。同时, 该模型也为其他正挣扎于疫情危机时期的国家, 提供了如何提供精神健康服务的重要策略。