Psychological suffering during Covid-19 pandemic – A sample from a Brazilian University

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed changes with important repercussions on the mental health of the world population. The objective of the study was to characterize the profile and complaints of patients who sought psychological help from three services provided by a university in São Paulo, Brazil, during the pandemic. The study analyzed and compared data obtained in the survey from the three psychological services and verified the characteristics of telemental health. This is a retrospective and comparative research, carried out by surveying the profile and complaints of people who sought psychological help during the defined period, through the analysis of registration forms and screening notes of the participants who expressed consent. The final sample comprised 628 participants, of which 76.2% were women, with average age of 36.6 years. The main complaint reported in the three services was anxiety, followed by depression. Telehealth for mental care showed positive aspects, such as enabling the reception of patients during the period of social distancing. The following difficulties stand out: confidentiality, lack of a protected environment for the sessions, and issues imposed by internet connection and use of technology.