The outbreak of the COVID-19 has caused panic and anxiety, triggering psychological reactions. The battle against the epidemic is on both the medical and psychological fronts. 

Online psychological counseling has emerged as a new channel. Some companies now provide free counseling on various online platforms, offering psychological advice to the public.

"The outbreak affects us all; panic spreads over the internet. As a psychology platform, we felt it is an obligation to contribute. Besides the free hotline, we also launched an online support activity, published some articles about coping skills and developed a self-assessment questionnaire of emotion stability," said Huang Bingjie, director of the counseling department at KnowYourself, a mental health-focused start-up that has more than nine million followers online.

KnowYourself opened a green channel on its WeChat public account for front-line healthcare workers, patients and family members to chat with a psychologist. The platform has received over 700 counseling requests since it started the service.

The National Health Commission has been emphasizing the importance of psychological crisis intervention for patients and medical workers since the beginning of the outbreak. 

An anxiety test conducted by the Chinese Psychological Society this month found that 42.6 percent of the 18,000 people who participated were in a state of anxiety, while in a depression test, 16.6 percent fell into the category of moderate to severe depression.

As the need for psychological counseling quickly increased, hotlines, social media groups and counseling services mushroomed in the past few weeks. Although these free consultations can't be immediately converted into income earners, they still benefit the industry.

"After this outbreak, I believe people will pay more attention to their mental health and improve the awareness to seek professional service. Overall, it's beneficial for the industry," said Huang.