Over 1 Lakh Calls Received till date by Mental Health Helpline

Recent data furnished by the Mumbai city mental health helpline: the BMC Mpower helpline, showed that over the last three years, the helpline received a total of 1.19 lakh calls till the present day.

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The data also specified that 24% of the calls were regarding depressive thoughts, 22% were regarding troubles with anxiety, and 7% involved suicidal thoughts and threats. The age group to which the majority of the callers belonged was between 26 years to 40 years, which indicates the severe and urgent need for mental health support belonging to people of this age. This data indicates that in a struggle to cope with a fast-paced lifestyle, mental health concerns often take a backseat. However, a large number of callers also show the willingness of people to address their problems and strive to improve their mental health.

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Interestingly, an assessment of the gender of callers revealed that the ratio was skewed towards males. While 63% of the callers were male, 37% were female. The head of the helpline, psychologist Dilshad Khurana, speculated that the reason behind this could be the traditional mindset that men do not express their emotions as much as women, causing them to be hesitant in expressing feelings of mental vexation and limiting their access to support systems such as suffering to family members, friends, or colleagues.

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Speaking further on the issue of men’s mental health concerns, Dr. Neena Sawant, president of the Indian Psychiatric Society-West Zone, highlighted how the global trend of women being more prone to depression was changing. She mentioned that more and more men are complaining about loneliness, and how the gender divide between experience of anxiety and depression is getting bridged. Dr Avinash Desousa, past president of the Bombay Psychiatric Society, also added that the previous tendency of men to suffer in silence is also changing.

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They have realised their need for support and help in mental health matters, and are coming forward to seek counselling. Psychologists also talked about the most commonly heard mental health complaints. The majority of their male patients have sleep-related issues, anxiety, and panic issues. They generally stem from stress about finances, marriage, and work. The pandemic has further accelerated these problems by leading to unemployment, lifestyle changes, and relationship conflicts.

However, on a positive note, Dr. Sawant commented that there is an increased awareness of mental issues among younger generations. She mentioned how GenZ students are willing to come forward about their mental struggles and seek help from professionals, even if their parents are unaccepting. Discussion around mental health is a lot more open as compared to a decade ago.

The Helpline:

BMC Mpower 1 on 1 is a toll-free mental health helpline that was launched three years ago as a collaborative effort between Mpowerminds, a corporate company, and the Government of Maharashtra. It aims to deal with the mental health concerns arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. It helps individuals get through the tough times by addressing their concerns. It is operational 24X7, and assists people in dealing with mental health challenges such as stress, anxiety, and depression.

The Company:

Mpower Minds is an organisation belonging to the Aditya Birla Education Trust. It started with the acknowledgement of how mental health is a subject that is riddled with stigma in society, how sensitive issues and concerns around mental health can go unheard because of stigma, and the resolve to make consistent efforts to create awareness to eradicate stigma and taboo.

Mpower Minds works towards creating a body of knowledge and expertise to empower professionals and specialists in the field of mental health. It strives to change public perception of mental illnesses by creating awareness, fostering education around the subject, advocating prevention and providing world-class holistic mental health services, regardless of age, gender, and socio-economic boundaries. The company offers resources and information, training and guidance, diagnostic evaluation, therapeutic interventions, as well as psychological counselling.

Mrs. Neerja Birla and Ms. Ananya Birla are the company’s co-founders.

More Information on the BMC Mpower 1 on 1 Helpline:

• Timings: Therapists are available to take calls 24X7.
• Confidentiality: Complete confidentiality is maintained about the information shared by callers, except in cases of self-harm, harm to others, or breaking of laws.
• Cost: The service is completely free and the helpline number is toll-free.
• Expert Qualifications: The experts answering calls are qualified psychologists with many years of experience.
• Nature of Concerns: Callers can call regarding any mental health-related queries and concerns, including but not limited to – Anxiety, Low Mood, Sleep Difficulties, Help in Problem Solving, Communication, and Relationship issues.
• Age Restrictions: The helpline is only available for people over the age of 18.
• Additional Information: You can make unlimited calls to the helpline, however, there is no guarantee that your calls will be attended by the same psychologist. It is not a crisis or emergency helpline. However, in case it is found to be required by the experts, the callers are referred to the nearest hospitals for medical interventions or psychiatrists for a more comprehensive treatment plan.