One year of Tele-MANAS

Context

The national tele mental health programme Tele-MANAS has counselled more than 3,50,000 people till date and over 1,000 calls are being received on this helpline every day.

About

What is Tele-MANAS?

World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10th every year. The theme for the World Mental Health Day 2023 is 'Mental Health is a Universal Human Right’.

Tele-MANAS is India’s round-the-clock mental health helpline.
Launched in 2022 on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the programme provides counselling to 2,000 people through its 44 Tele-MANAS cells, he said at the National Mental Health Conclave here organised to mark World Mental Health Day.
It comprises two tiers:
- Trained counsellors at State Tele-MANAS cells who provide immediate care
- Mental health professionals (psychologists, clinicians, psychiatrists) at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) who provide specialist care
NIMHANS, Bengaluru, serves as the nodal centre while the International Institute of Information Technology (IIITB) in Bengaluru is tasked with providing the technical know-how for the helpline.

Need of the initiative

The helpline was a response to a mental health crisis inflamed by the COVID-19 pandemic: isolation, financial precarity and illness adversely impacted levels of anxiety, depression and substance use disorders
Estimates show that 70-92% of Indians do not receive medication or treatment for different mental conditions.

Other Government Initiatives:

National Mental Health Programme (NMHP): Aim to be implemented in 704 districts for which support is provided to States/UTs through the National Health Mission.
Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) levelswere established to address outpatient services, assessment, counselling/ psycho-social interventions, continuing care and support to persons with severe mental disorders, drugs, outreach services, ambulance services etc.
National Tele Mental Health Programme: In Budget (2022-2023), India's Finance Minister announced the programme to improve access to quality mental health counselling and also care services.
Mental Healthcare Act, 2017:It aims to provide mental healthcare services for persons with mental illness.
KIRAN: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a 24/7 toll-free helpline to provide support to people facing anxiety, stress, depression, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health concerns.