With the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Class 12 and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Class 10 results declared recently in Maharashtra, the public health department has urged students to connect to the toll-free mental health helpline Tele-MANAS if you feel isolated and depressed. Mental health experts have expressed concern about the possibility of a rise in mental health problems among students following academic results, they said.
Since the launch of the government-run national telemental health program Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) in November 2022, more than 70,000 people in Maharashtra have used the service on toll-free numbers 14416 (for calls in roaming). ) and 18008914416 (for landlines). Helpline 14416 operates from three locations: Pune, Thane and Ambejogai.
Dr Prasanna Phutane, Consultant Psychiatrist, Tele-MANAS Pune, said, “We record 80-90 calls daily. The number is likely to increase after the results have been declared. We are monitoring the type of callers, especially those who have mental health problems due to academic pressure. A tailored awareness program will be carried out to target these callers.”
The Tele-MANAS team includes clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses and psychiatric social workers. The center refers serious cases to the district’s mental health program for therapy.
