Source: The post on World Mental Health Day is based on the article “Ministry of Health & Family Welfare celebrates World Mental Health Day and two years of Tele MANAS” published in “PIB” on 11th October 2024.
Why in the News?
The Union Health Ministry celebrated the second anniversary of the *National Tele Mental Health Programme (Tele MANAS) on World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme is: “It is time to prioritize Mental Health at Workplace.”
Key Launches and Features
Tele MANAS App & Video Call Facility: It provides support for mental health issues with resources on self-care, recognizing distress signals, and managing early signs of stress and anxiety.
The app includes interactive features like mind challenges, games, and mindfulness practices for enhanced user engagement. It offers free, confidential, 24×7 access to trained mental health professionals across India.
Video Consultation Feature: An upgrade to the existing audio call facility, allowing mental health professionals to conduct brief physical or Mental State Examinations (MSE) during consultations. It has been initially launched in Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu, with plans to expand nationwide.
Call Handling Milestone: Since its inception, Tele MANAS has handled over 1.45 million calls, indicating a strong reach and utilization.
Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative
1. The programme includes a network of 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence.
2. Aim: To provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, particularly catering to people in remote or under-served areas.
3. Initiated by: Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
4. Nodal Centre: NIMHANS
5. Technology support: International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIITB)
6. Functioning: A toll-free, 24/7 helpline number (14416) has been set up across the country allowing callers to select the language of choice for availing services. The calls would be routed to Tele-MANAS cells in the respective state and union territory.
7.The organizational framework of Tele MANAS: Tele-MANAS will be organised in a two-tier system; Tier 1 comprises state Tele MANAS cells which include trained counsellors and mental health specialists. Tier 2 will comprise specialists at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or e-Sanjeevani for audio-visual consultation.
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