Mental health must be brought to forefront

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State officials have said the Tele MANAS helpline has brought relief to hundreds who needed someone to listen to them. Since its launch in October last year, counsellors have helped an average of 44 people daily, according to data. Most callers complained of insomnia, stress and anxiety. The state health department launched the helpline number 14416 keeping in mind the high-stress lifestyle of many, who also lack support.

Reports said since its inception, at least 5,457 people have called on the number, including 2,667 men and 993 women. According to the data available from the state, around 1,200 people complained about insomnia, 900 said they were feeling disappointed and 850 were under stress. Officials cited multiple reasons for mental illness such as love affairs, monetary issues and family issues.

Experts stated that not every person who is suffering from mental illness needs medication. Many of them recover through meditation and counselling. Very few of the callers were found to have serious issues.

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While it is good that most people do not need medication. This shows though that we should continue our emphasis on mental health and never let up in our effort to make this mainstream; the physical and mental aspects must move concurrently, to ensure optimum health.

For too long mental health has been relegated to the sidelines, misunderstood, trivialised or scoffed at. Today, it is time to bring it to the forefront of the medical system. We have a truly good outlook on this. People, no longer bogged down by fear or stigma, are reaching out. Trained personnel are responding aptly and with alacrity. We actually have solid figures and numbers instead of vague answers. All this spells a win-win situation for those striving for a change in our health scenario by factoring in the mental aspect.