The government is working to soon launch a national telemental health program and toll-free helpline number to enable wider access to mental health care across the country.
The National Telemental Health Program (NTMHP) was first announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union budget for 2022-23. “The pandemic has accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages. To improve access to quality mental health care and counseling services, a ‘National Remote Mental Health Program’ will be launched,” she said.
This will include a network of 23 mental telehealth centers of excellence, with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) as the nodal center and the International Institute of Information Technology, Bengaluru (IIITB) providing technology support.
As part of the program, at least one tele-MANAS (Tele-Mental Health Assistance and Nationally Actionable Plan) cell will be established in each state and union territory and there will be five regional coordination centers, an official source told PTI.
A toll-free helpline number will also be set up across the country, allowing callers to select the language of their choice for available services. Calls would be routed to tele-MANAS cells in the respective state and union territory, the source said.
According to a Lancet study published in October last year, the percentage increase in the prevalence of clinically significant depression and anxiety disorders due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was estimated to be approximately 35% in India.
There has been a 10 percent increase in the number of reported suicides in 2020 in India compared to 2019, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
A study published this year by Dr. Rajesh Sagar, professor of psychiatry at AIIMS, indicated that India bears a huge burden due to mental health problems, with an estimated one in seven people suffering from a clinically diagnosable mental disorder .
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic had direct and indirect significant negative effects on the mental health of the entire population, it said in its study titled ‘National Tele-Mental Health Program in India: A step towards mental health care for? everybody?’
The study indicated that the vision of tele-MANAS involves linking these new remote mental health centers with the existing network of locally available mental health resources in nearby centers of excellence, medical schools, district hospitals and other mental health services. administered by the center. and/or state governments.
This will help provide immediate mental health care to a person with acute psychological distress and facilitate continuity of care by making appropriate referrals to nearby specialty mental health services based on the person’s convenience and the severity of the mental health problem, he said. .
The NTMHP also envisages linking telemental health services with other government-provided health-related schemes and services under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (national digitization of health records and services) and the e-Sanjeevani platform (national teleconsultation service). ) .
The effects of COVID-19 on mental health are frequent. Long-term social distancing protocols, fear of illness, death, and future unpredictability, lost educational and employment opportunities, the economic downturn, and the high-stress work environment experienced by frontline healthcare workers Concerns about the impact on mental health have been raised as well, Dr. Sagar said.
“Disinformation on social media and excessive screen time have become major issues in a growing society. The rise of common mental disorders at an alarming rate is a trend seen today (PTSD, anxiety, depression, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse, and post-Covid syndrome). “A lot of infection prevention and control stress due to lockdown, self-isolation and quarantining has had a detrimental effect on mental health,” she said.
“Although toll-free numbers and telepsychiatry consultations have had a favorable impact on people’s decisions to seek care, it is crucial to prioritize the need of the most vulnerable people when allocating resources for mental health care,” he said.
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