Jaipur: Tele-MANAS, the state govt’s toll-free mental health support service, has received 3,720 calls from people reporting suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts since the beginning of 2023, accounting for 3.4% of all the total calls. Officials said counsellors on the 24/7 helpline, available at 14416, responded to crisis calls through immediate counselling, psychotherapy, psychiatric consultations, urgent care support and referrals where required.Operated by the Health Department, Tele-MANAS provides free mental health services across the state, especially in remote and underserved areas where distance, cost and stigma often prevent people from seeking help.Nodal Officer of Tele-MANAS, Psychiatric Centre, SMS Medical College, Dr Dharmdeep Singh, said the service has become an important tool for mental healthcare delivery in remote areas. “It has successfully helped address mental healthcare-related issues across all age groups, making the vision of mental healthcare for all more achievable than ever,” he said.Recent interventions show the role of rapid crisis response. A 17-year-old boy received immediate support after the death of his father, an 18-year-old girl was helped while struggling with anxiety and self-harming thoughts, and a distressed 23-year-old man was connected to urgent psychiatric care after a relationship breakdown.Mental health experts described the number of suicide-related calls as alarming. They said many callers fall in the 18-to-45 age group, which is increasingly affected by stress, isolation, relationship issues, academic pressure, unemployment, addiction and financial distress.Psychiatrists said such calls require urgent risk assessment, emotional stabilisation, counselling and, when necessary, immediate referral to hospitals or crisis-intervention services. Timely support, they said, can prevent self-harm if callers are identified early and remain connected to professional care.Experts said the trend underlines the need for early identification of distress, family involvement, stigma-free conversations and easier access to mental healthcare in schools, workplaces and homes.
