The COVID-19 pandemic in Peru led to the closure of almost all mental health services. In addition, the authorities forced citizens to stay at home for prolonged periods of time. Faced with this, the Universidad Continental designed and implemented, in 2020, the CALMA Program of online psychological first aid; the same that was conceived within the framework of the technical guide of psychological first aid of the World Health Organization (2012). This initiative, in force until today, was part of the university's social responsibility actions and has offered tele-care through digital media free of charge to more than 10,000 users under a focus on diversity, inclusiveness and multiculturalism in mental health services (Putallaz & Pérez, 2022). 

This study characterizes the population served (N=10096) throughout these 4 years of CALMA's life. Of this group, 74.6% were women (n=7567) and 25.4% men (n=2567). The 4 main reasons for seeking care were: pain, sadness or crying (21.1%); fear or terror (18.7%); loss of initiative (12.2%) and emotional crisis and panic (7.8%). These most frequent reasons were the same according to the sex variable. Thus, in women: pain, sadness or crying (22.6%); fear or terror (18.7%); loss of initiative (12.4%); and emotional crisis and panic (8.5%). In men we have pain, sadness or crying (16.4%); fear or terror (18.7%); loss of initiative (11.6%); and emotional crisis and panic (5.9%).

Thus, in pandemic times (n = 6908) we found as the most frequent reasons: fear and terror (25.9%); pain, sadness, and flatness (23.5%); loss of initiative (15.2%); emotional crisis and panic (7.2%); and concerns about the need for survival (3.6%). On the other hand, in the post-pandemic period, the most frequent complaints were pain, fatigue and crying (15.0%); emotional crisis and panic (9.7%); low self-esteem (7.0%); loss of initiative (5.8%); and feelings of guilt (4.5%).