Tele MANAS Cell for Armed Forces

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed an agreement (MoU) to establish Tele MANAS Cell in Pune. The military faces unique challenges that can affect mental health. These challenges need special attention and support.

What is Tele MANAS?

• Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) is a service that provides mental health support over the phone. It's part of a larger program called the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP).
• National Apex Centre: National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru
• Current Situation:
  • There are already 51 Tele MANAS cells working across all States and UTs, offering services in 20 languages.
  • Since it started in October 2022, Tele MANAS has received over 10 lakh calls (a lakh is 100,000) and handles more than 3,500 calls every day.
  • This shows there's a big need for mental health support, especially in places like the Armed Forces.

Scenario of Mental Health

• Mental health comprises our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
• Types of mental health issues: Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Schizophrenia, Eating Disorders, Disruptive behaviour and dissocial disorders, Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Factors increasing vulnerability: emotional skills, substance use and genetics.
• Numbers:
  • 1 in every 5 individuals suffers from some form of mental health illness symptoms.
  • 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% of mental health conditions develop by age 24.
  • 970 million people around the world struggle with some mental illness.
  • One in four people are affected by a mental illness at some point in their lives.
  • 3% of deaths worldwide, or approximately 8 million deaths each year, are attributable to mental disorders
• Challenges:
  • Stigmatisation of mental illness, social exclusion and isolation
  • Financial barriers
  • Limited availability of mental health education and awareness
  • Lack of good mental health care professionals and services
    • There are just 0.3 psychiatrists, 0.07 psychologists and 0.07 social workers per 100,000 people in India.
    • To compare, the ratio of psychiatrists in developed countries is 6.6 per 100,000 and the average number of mental hospitals globally is 0.04 per 100,000 while it's only 0.004 in India.
  • Government Health Initiatives:
    • India’s Mental Healthcare Act, 2017
    • National Mental Health Programme (NMHP)
    • National Tele Mental Health Programme
    • NIMHANS and iGOT-Diksha Collaboration
    • Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs)
    • World Health Day
    • Kiran Helpline, Manodarpan Initiative