How to ask for free psychological help in Argentina

Without a doubt and much more so in the post-pandemic, people around the world needed and need their mental health and not just their physical health to be taken care of. And this is not limited to patients who are able to pay for psychological and psychiatric consultation. How to ask for free psychological help in Argentina?

Doctors are exhaustive on the subject. Not only is the psyche a fundamental area of ​​people’s health, but it also considerably affects the well-being of the entire organism and the quality of life.

In Argentina, there are several ways to access free help from professionals specialized in the psyche. In any case, it has already been reported several times that the allocated budget is not enough for all the people who need this type of professionals.

It was found throughout the world that during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, consultations with mental health professionals grew considerably. If the care in Argentina is taken into account, a session with these professionals is, privately, more than 10% of the minimum vital and mobile salary.

However, just as many social or prepaid works have the possibility of assistance with psychologists and psychiatrists, there are also free lines and places. The Government of the City of Buenos Aires has a Mental Health line that operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, at 0800-333-1665.

According to the City, this is a completely confidential call and provides interdisciplinary guidance for those who require assistance. This program was launched in 1997 and, since April 2020, it has been on call with doctors and psychologists.

For the entire country, there is the National Directorate of Mental Health and Addictions of the Ministry of Health of the Nation. The telephone numbers available from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. are O800-222-1002, option 6, and 0800-333-1665. Within this link, on the Argentina.gob portal, you can see the free help lines in each province of Argentina in alphabetical order.

In Chaco, the line is 107; in Chubut, (0280) 506 6107; In La Pampa there is a number for situations of violence that is 144; in Misiones for psychological help you can call (0376) 444 7122; In San Juan there is a 24-hour chat at (0264) 483 9344 and in Tierra del Fuego there is a line for children at (02964) 490270, among several other places in the provinces.

In the case of addictions, there is a Sedronar line for the entire country, calling directly at 141, 24 hours a day.

In the province of Buenos Aires, there is an Undersecretary of Mental Health, problematic consumption and violence that also has a hotline: 0800-222-5462. In addition, in the different locations in the Buenos Aires suburbs or interior, there is also accompaniment, support and guidance in mental health.

In any case, the budget assigned to this type of institutions and help lines is usually not enough for the number of consultations that are carried out daily, although there is a Mental Health Law that indicates that 10% of the country’s Health budget should be be focused on this area.