1.5 lakh queries in 8 months, most callers to Govt mental health helpline aged between 18 and 45

The helpline — Tele-MANAS — was launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on October 10 (World Mental Health Day) last year. The Ministry said it was part of the Government’s efforts to address a “mental health crisis” in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Ministry said it was part of the Government’s efforts to address a “mental health crisis” in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Representational image)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

The Government’s helpline offering free and round-the-clock mental health services has received over 1.5 lakh calls since its inception eight months ago, with those in the 18-45 age group dialling in the most. Overall, two-thirds of the callers are men, data show.

The helpline — Tele-MANAS — was launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on October 10 (World Mental Health Day) last year. The Ministry said it was part of the Government’s efforts to address a “mental health crisis” in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With over 1,600 trained counsellors who can offer help in over 20 languages, there are 42 tele-MANAS cells in the country at present which can be accessed through a toll free number (14416 or 1800-89-14416).

“Our priority is to save lives… Or reduce the stress that people are under at the moment,” said Dr Swati Ravindran, assistant professor of psychiatry at NIMHANS, which acts as the nodal centre for the helpline network. She was among the first to join the Tele-MANAS team.

“In emergency calls, our counsellors even stay on call with the patients till they reach the hospital if they are on their own,” Ravindran said.

Also Read | 58,000 calls have been received under Tele-Manas

An analysis of the call data shows that most of the calls came from people aged between 18 and 45 years. Around 6.22% of the total calls were emergency cases where the counsellors ensured adequate help was provided, while 90% were routine. Around 4% of the calls across age groups were pranks.

Sadness, sleep disturbance, stress, anxiety, and relationship or familial conflict were among the most common complaints.

1.5 L queries in 8 months, most callers to Govt mental health helpline aged between 18 and 45

Story continues below this ad

“We categorise the calls by the complaints people reach out to us with, not a diagnosis. Diagnosing isn’t our objective; there is already a lot of stigma when it comes to mental health,” said Dr Ravindran.

Significantly, two-thirds of the calls that came into the helpline were from men. This, Dr Ravindran said, could be because more men have access to phones and can afford privacy by stepping out of their homes.

Ravindran said that for routine calls, the intervention depends on the needs of the caller “and what they are able to do”. “For example, we can escalate the same call from the counsellor to a psychiatrist, we can arrange for regular counselling at the district centres, counsellors from the district mental health programme can visit the person, or we can arrange for them to get a call back at certain times,” she said.

ALSO Read | Why many Indians don’t trust mental health advice

However, there’s one rule the counsellors follow — privacy is paramount. Ravindran said the counsellors never call back without first fixing a time.

Story continues below this ad

“This is because we do not want anyone else in the family to know that they have called the mental health helpline,” she said.

Anonna Dutt

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram