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Würzburg / Berlin (dpa / lby) - According to a psychologist, telephone chaplains speak to more and more people who feel lonely due to corona.

"In 2019, loneliness was shown as a topic of conversation in about every fifth conversation, not just as a life situation or mental state, but it was explicitly discussed," said Ruth Belzner, the head of the telephone counseling in Würzburg / Main-Rhön, in a video conversation with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

"In 2020 that rose to 25 percent over the whole year, that is, every fourth conversation."

That is a significant increase.

“But we also often see people bringing up another topic.

But they call in principle because they are lonely, ”Belzner explained in the dialogue published on Monday.

The telephone counselors not only made phone calls, but also chatted with interested parties.

Corona works like a magnifying glass over existing problems, she said with a view to mental illnesses, fears, lack of work and difficult family circumstances.

In the chat in particular, depressing stories are often told "of young people in dysfunctional families who were and are virtually trapped and cut off from contacts and offers of help".

Steinmeier also said that he has now received many more letters in which people talk about their loneliness.

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Women and men, including their employees, who have to teach their children at home in the home office, are particularly stressed.

“You can't hold out indefinitely,” said Belzner when asked by the Federal President about the situation of families.

According to Steinmeier, around 7,000 people work at the 105 telephone counseling services in Germany, most of them on a voluntary basis.

"We both think that's great," he said.

There is currently no shortage of employees, said Belzner.

"It has never been easier than in 2020 to fill all services or to fill them twice."

She did not give reasons for this.

The Würzburg / Main-Rhön telephone pastoral care is ecumenically supported by the Catholic and Protestant Church and its charitable organizations Caritas and Diakonie.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210201-99-253907 / 2

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Video call

Telephone counseling in Würzburg / Main-Rhön