10+ Lakh Calls: National Tele-Mental Health Programme Reaches Milestone

The National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) has achieved milestones of receiving 10 lakh + calls. With an average of 3500 calls per day, the Govt initiative -Tele Manas service have climbed this success from 12,000 calls in December 2022 to 90,000 calls in May 2024. There are over 51 Tele-Manas cells across the country with multi-language support. These numbers signify how the mental health awareness graph of India is going up. Tele Manas service focused on linking with existing mental health services like e-Sanjeevani and targeting vulnerable groups with a unique approach of callbacks and follow up.

14416 or 1-800-891-4416 is the helpline number of Tele Manas service. This is a toll-free number available 24/7.

Why Tele Helpline: A pubmed central research showed that when teleservices and in-person services is compared, teleservices have proven to be similarly effective as the other. The government had initiated this with an aim of accessibility and availability to all. The benefits are diverse as follows:

Accessibility

With digitalization and advancement in technology, tele services are in reach to maximum citizens, be it urban or rural setup. Since mental health services and care are significant. It’s the right of every person, irrespective of their financial status. Accessibility brings along a spectrum of therapy and its professionals as an option to choose based on individuals need. Many therapists cater to even international clients through tele services.

Affordability

These services often without charges by government becomes affordable to all. Mental health services are still considered a luxury in our society. A tele helpline service  is one of the most effective ways of dealing with it. Affordability is not only in terms of clients for sorting out travel expenses, but also for therapists to have less infrastructure for setting up the centre. 

Flexibility

Tele helpline services provide great flexibility of time. People have their own convenient time when they need to consult, tele service aids as a solution to this. Many times, appointments are scheduled late or often delayed, tele services can contribute in bridging the time gap of these delays.

Tele helpline and Covid

In the times of Covid, when complete world was locked in. Such services have catered to meet the demand of people. With the confinement in pandemic, a series of mental illnesses got prevalent among people with anxiety and depression. To meet such high needs and demands, teleservices came up as a boon in the time of Covid and its impact.

What made it successful

Call back and follow up was the key to tele Mansa service. If not answered at the moment, a call back is given to all the people who have called. Along with this, follow up sessions are conducted to check upon the caller’s mental well being. Many people tend to loose the track of sessions, but a follow up call can go miles.

Immediate help

One of the biggest advantages of tele services is providing immediate care in the times of crisis. In every person’s life, a time of crisis can happen unexpectedly, dealing with it immediately is not possible and can be quite difficult. Dialing a number to feel better is indeed a magnificent solution instead of suffering alone.

Suicide prevention

Suicide is often linked to a sudden situation of overwhelmed feeling where the individual does not feel how to deal with it. Immediate intervention can save lives and have contributed to it significantly. Teleservices act as a pioneer for the platform of immediate mental health services.

Read More : Teletherapy & Telehealth: Introduction, Advantages, and Limitations