Mental health helpline receives 20000 calls in two months

Subject :Government Schemes

Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (MANAS), a toll-free 24/7 number which was launched on October 10 on World Mental Health Day by the Union government, has received over 20,000 calls to date, reported the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB).
Tele Manas under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) now has 24 States and Union Territories on board, and provides basic support and counselling along with emergency psychiatric facilities.
While the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) was appointed as the nodal centre for the helpline, IIITB has been providing technical support for it.

About the news

While stress, sleep disorders and anxiety have been the main issues for which help is being sought, the highest number of calls have been received from Tamil Nadu (3,631).
The data also showed that people in the age group of 18-45 years called the helpline the most. Apart from the aforementioned issues, emergency cases were also dealt with by the e-counsellors through the helpline, IIITB said.
Apart from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Telangana were the top regions from where more people reached out to the helpline, according to the recorded data.

National Mental Health Programme

National Mental Health Program (NMHP) aims to address the huge burden of mental disorders and shortage of qualified professionals in the field of mental health, the government has been implementing the National Mental Health Program (NMHP) since 1982.
The Program was re-strategize in 2003 to include two schemes, viz. Modernization of State Mental Hospitals and Up-gradation of Psychiatric Wings of Medical Colleges/General Hospitals.
District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), 1996 was also launched to provide community mental health services at the primary health care level.

About Tele-MANAS

Tele-MANAS is a toll-free 24/7 number (14416) launched on October 10 2022 on World Mental Health Day by the Union government.
It aims to provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, its focus is on catering to people in remote or under-served areas.
It is based on Karnataka government’s e-Manas service, which was launched during the first wave of COVID-19.
Tele-MANAS works under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP).

Working of Tele-MANAS

Tele-MANAS has been organised into a two-tier system;
Tier 1 comprises of state Tele-MANAS cells which will include trained counsellors and mental health specialists.
Tier 2 will include specialists at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or e-Sanjeevani for audio visual consultation.
Tele-MANAS will be linked to other services like National tele-consultation service, e-Sanjeevani, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, mental health professionals, Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centres and emergency psychiatric facilities for specialised care.

National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS)

The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) is a multidisciplinary institute for patient care and academic pursuit in the field of mental health and neurosciences.
Headquarter: National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences is a premier medical institution located in Bengaluru, India.
NIMHANS is the apex centre for mental health and neuroscience education in the country.
NIMHANS Institute operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
An Institute of National Importance: NIMHANS, Bangalore Act 2012 declares NIMHANS to be an Institute of National Importance and provides for its incorporation and matters connected therewith.
Earlier, the Central Government recognized NIMHANS’s eminent academic position, growth and contributions, and declared it a ‘Deemed University in 1994.