Tele-MANAS urges students suffering from mental distress to call helpline

11 June 2024

Pune- Mental health experts expect a surge in mental health issues in students owing to the post-academic results phase. Recently, results of Class 12 (HSC) and Class 10 (SSC) were announced in Maharashtra therefore, the public health department has encouraged students to connect to a toll-free mental health helpline to get proper consultation and decrease the chances of them feeling isolated or depressed.

Tele-MANAS (Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) is a government-run national Tele mental health program that was launched in November 2022. Since then, around 70,000 people in Maharashtra have availed the service at toll-free numbers 14416 for roaming calls and 18008914416 for landlines. The 14416 helpline is run from locations like Pune, Thane, and Ambajogai.

Dr Prasanna Phutane, a consultant psychiatrist, at Tele-MANAS Pune, mentioned that they log around 80-90 calls on a daily basis. They suspect a rise in calls from students since the results have been declared. They also monitor the types of callers, especially those who are suffering from a mental illness rooted in academic pressure. A special awareness program will be conducted to target such callers.

The Tele-MANAS team includes clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and psychiatric social workers. They forward severe cases to the district mental health program for therapy.