The Centre for the Study of Resilience is partnering with researchers at the University of Pretoria and Brand South Africa to address the need for a national online mental health support platform to assist healthcare service providers who play a vital role in the fight against COVID-19. Prof. Derick de Jongh, Director of the Albert Luthuli Centre for Responsible Leadership at the University of Pretoria,  is leading the team which includes Prof. Tanya Heyns and her team from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria and Dr. Petrus de Kock, General Manager, Research at Brand South Africa. The Centre for the Study of Resilience contributes to the C4C project by sharing evidence-based resource packs for collective resilience that was developed alongside teachers as part of the Teacher Resilience Lab Project ‘Isithebe’ to develop occupational resilience.

The COVID-19 outbreak raises the stressors faced by healthcare service providers leading to challenges in psychological and emotional functioning. ‘Caring for the Carers’ (C4C) is a comprehensive and accessible online mental health support platform that will aim to enhance the mental wellness of healthcare service providers in the South African context. C4C, currently in development, will consist of the following services:

1. General discussion rooms where healthcare service providers can connect with one another, share stories about pain and gain, and access peer assistance
2. Professional counselling which will include access to online support and a 24-hour helpline
3. Resource centre where free eBooks, literature, software, and apps can be accessed
4. Webinars and mindfulness training which will focus on mental health aspects, skills-based courses as well as health talk and mindfulness interventions

The team is currently working on finalising the content, designing the online platform, obtaining access to a network of mental health professionals, finalising a 24-hour helpline provider, and completing a marketing and communication plan. Current stakeholders include Brand South Africa, the University of Pretoria, and the Chief Nurse of South Africa (National Department of Health).