Czech Army unexpectedly shuts down support helpline for soldiers and veterans
The Czech Army has unexpectdly scrapped its psychological support helpline, set up during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. Soldiers in need of support are advised to turn to army psychologists instead. Critics are questioning the wisdom of the move, arguing that one of the key attributes of the helpline was that it was anonymous.
Soldiers played a key role in helping the country deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The helpline was designed to offer anonymous support, particularly to those deployed in hospitals or under stress during the crisis. Initially it operated four lines, three for the public and one for soldiers.
Over time, the service was scaled back, leaving only a single number for soldiers, their families, and veterans, which was operated by military psychologists as part of their regular duties, without requiring additional budget. Its sudden closure at the end of June came as a shock both to staff and those using it. Helena Sováková, former head of the military psychologists, helped to establish the service.
“A war veteran called me, a former client, angry that he couldn’t get through. I told him that couldn’t be right, and advised patience. I then tried calling it myself several times over and I couldn’t get through either. So I called to ask what was happening and was told the helpline had been cancelled as of June 30th,” Sováková recalled, explaining how she discovered that the service had ended.
Sovaková says she sees no reason for the helpline’s closure since it came at no extra cost and its operation was integrated into the regular duties of military psychologists.
“If a psychologist wasn’t on call duty, they were at their desk handling professional matters and documentation, which ensured an optimal balance between the availability of crisis care and efficient use of the psychologists’ time,” she added.
Surprisingly, the army discontinued the helpline without issuing any formal announcement. The phone number disappeared from the military psychologists' website only after Czech Radio inquired about the closure. Though the army claims it notified soldiers through an internal system, families and veterans claim they were left uninformed.
Army spokesperson Lada Ferkálová linked the shutdown to a decline in usage.
“In its first year, the line made sense, but already the following year we saw a steep decline, with only a few dozen callers throughout the year,” she said. “In the last year, there were months when no one dialed the number at all, or only a handful of people did.”
Moreover, Ferkálová explained that the shutdown had been made within a broader reorganization of the army’s psychological services. As of July, military psychologists have been reintegrated into the army’s internal structure, which, she said, will provide improved access to psychological care for soldiers and their relatives.
Soldiers and their families are now expected to contact psychologists based at army units or garrisons, while veterans are directed to community field workers.
Not everyone is convinced about the wisdom of the move. Critics point to the fact that anonymity—a key feature of the helpline—has been lost. And argue that not every garrison has its own psychologist, a point Ferkálová acknowledged, though she added that this should change in the near future.
In urgent cases, soldiers are advised to contact the Ministry of the Interior’s 24/7 crisis hotline for armed forces personnel.
