Tele mental health assistance to reach Puducherry soon

• The Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry will soon be covered under the National Tele Mental Health Programme of India and offer Tele MANAS service.

Highlights:

• The Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry will soon be integrated into India’s National Tele Mental Health Programme, offering Tele MANAS (Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) services.
• Launched in 2022, Tele MANAS is a 24x7 tele-mental health facility providing comprehensive, inclusive, and integrated mental health support across the country.

Mental Health Concerns: An Overview:

• The Ministry of Health released data on October 10, 2024, providing insights into the types of complaints received on the Tele MANAS helpline over the past year:
  • Sleep disturbances: 14%
  • Sadness of mood: 14%
  • Stress: 11%
  • Anxiety: 9%

Reach of Tele MANAS:

• Currently, Tele MANAS operates in 34 States and Union Territories, providing services in 20 languages. Since its launch, the helpline has received over 3.5 lakh calls, highlighting its wide reach and growing significance in mental health care.

Caller Demographics:

• Gender: 56.15% of callers are male.
• Age Group: 71.5% of callers are aged 18-45 years.
• Purpose: 70.75% of callers seek advice for their own mental health, while 18.4% call on behalf of others.

Nature of Calls:

• Routine Calls: 93% of calls fall under this category.
• Emergency Calls: 3.49% of calls are escalated to mental health specialists for urgent assistance.
• Suicide-Related Calls: Less than 3% of total calls.
• Prank Calls: 2.2% of calls were identified as prank calls.

Tele MANAS: Global Significance and Privacy Measures:

• Tele MANAS is one of the largest phone-based mental health initiatives globally, ensuring privacy through secure data storage, access controls, and caller-specific protocols.

Programme Structure and Partnerships:

• Tele MANAS operates through a network of 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence. The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) serves as the nodal centre, with the International Institute of Information Technology-Bengaluru (IIIT-B) providing technological support.
• Additionally, the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) offers technical guidance on health systems.

Key Recommendations for Improvement:

• A recent report outlined specific areas for improvement:
• Workforce Strengthening: Enhancing the Tele MANAS workforce through better service delivery, recruitment, and management.
• Service Delivery: Strengthening triage and streamlining processes for more effective assistance.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the development of national case studies and facilitating exchange programs for knowledge sharing both within India and globally

Prelims Takeaways:

• National Tele Mental Health Programme of India
• Tele MANAS service