Tele MANAS offers video consultations facility

According to data released by the Health Ministry on Thursday (October 10, 2024), an overview of the type of complaints on the helpline shows that the top four complaints here relate to sleep disturbances (14%), sadness of mood (14%), stress (11%) and anxiety (9%).

Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele MANAS) is now available as a comprehensive mobile platform – Tele MANAS App – developed for the public. Offered under the National Tele Mental Health Programme of India the app has a library of information including tips on self-care, recognizing distress signals and managing early signs of stress, anxiety, and emotional struggles.

This mobile app will also help users connect for free and access confidential mental health support through trained mental health professionals across India, 24×7 for immediate counselling. The Tele MANAS toll-free helpline numbers 14416 or 1-800-891-4416 offer multi-language support in 20 languages and so far, the programme has handled approx. 14.5 lakh calls since launch.

Another feature added to the programme this year is the video consultations facility which will be undertaken by the mental health professionals who are taking audio call escalations to get further information about the caller as part of history taking and clarification. This can also enable a brief physical examination or a Mental State Examination (MSE) for the caller to confirm any findings. “However, it will be mandatory to take the prior consent from the caller before doing video consultations,’’ said information released by the Health Ministry.

The video consultations will be initially launched in the states of Karnataka, J&K and Tamil Nadu and later scaled up to the whole country. Tele MANAS, started in 2022, seeks to function as a comprehensive, integrated, and inclusive 24×7 tele-mental health facility.

Meanwhile the Ministry has asked States to organise local events at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs – AAMs across India to reach a wider audience and provide mental health services at the grassroots level. These will include yoga/wellness sessions and awareness generations among the local community.

“The community health officers are encouraged to celebrate and document the efforts towards raising mental health awareness at facility level and use social media to highlight the same. Also, the Ministry has sought participation from all other Ministries to implement employee engagement activities designed to support mental health in the workplace. Suggested initiatives include setting up gratitude walls, counsellor sessions and promoting positive communication.