Belgium enables teleconsultations by (some) psychologists now too.

We’re living in challenging times due to the coronavirus. Lack of social contacts, insecurity and fear can have a huge impact on us all.

Mental help and psychological assistance are especially important for vulnerable young people and people with anxiety disorders for example.

Belgium has now opened up the covid_19 reimbursement of teleconsultations by doctors (GP’s) to some psychologists and educationalists too.

Minister of Health Maggie De Block: “The reimbursement of psychological assistance from a distance has a double purpose. We want to help people who are suffering from anxiety and panic as a result of the corona crisis. But we also want people to continue their current treatment.

GP’s can send people to psychologists or educationalists, and also occupational and prevention-physicians can refer to a psychological teleconsultation. This is important to support companies and employees in many important economic sectors now, like supermarkets, security, logistics,… and of course healthcare.

Unfortunately, reimbursement of psychologic consultations is no commodity yet in Belgium: only contracted psychologists receive public financing for ‘classical’ sessions as well as teleconsultations now.

You can read the press release in Dutch here.

Since the beginning of the #socialdistancing measures in Europe, European and Belgian psychological associations, but also justice and social workers have stressed the role of online consultations to give mental support and help.

Worldwide, health systems are using telehealth to help to tackle the coronavirus and its consequences now. We keep on monitoring these decisions and what you can learn from it.

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