Latest news with #InstituteofMentalHealthandNeurosciences
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
J&K leads in mental health helpline calls
SRINAGAR: A quiet revolution is taking place in mental health care in Jammu & Kashmir. For many battling depression and dark thoughts, a single phone call is making all the difference. The UT has emerged as India's leading performer in responding to mental health distress calls. Driving this transformation is Tele MANAS, a Centre-backed digital mental health support initiative. This was revealed during the national launch of video consultations under Tele MANAS and Hindi version of the Tele MANAS App 1.0 early this month. The central govt announced the launch of National Tele Mental Health Programme in October 2022 to provide free, round-the-clock mental health counselling through digital platforms, aiming to make mental health care accessible nationwide. A year later, Tele MANAS centres were established across various states, with the one in J&K emerging as among the first to become fully operational. Of the 1,03,504 calls received by the centre so far, 87,450 were user-initiated while 15,731 were follow-up or outreach calls made by Tele MANAS. Topping the country list in terms of population-to-call ratio, the J&K Tele MANAS centre is also among the busiest, handling nearly 150 calls a day. The centre, based on the premises of Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), Kashmir, has 19 counsellors, seven psychiatrists, and a backup from a team of clinical psychologists from IMHANS, Kashmir. When video consultations under the programme began in October 2023, J&K was among three states/UTs chosen. Since then, over 400 video consultations have been held and J&K is leading in both volume and adoption, Dr Naveen Kumar C, principal investigator at the national coordinating centre, said. He said video consultations were a significant shift from audio-only interactions as it allowed far more effective clinical engagement. Prof Arshid Hussain, Tele MANAS in-charge at IMHANS, Kashmir, attributed the service's success to a combination of J&K's digitally connected population and awareness about the programme among them. He said the centre was getting calls from all over J&K, including areas like Gurez and Karnah along the LoC in the valley, and border areas of Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua and Reasi in Jammu. The most common issue reported through Tele MANAS has been persistent low mood-related depressive symptoms, accounting for 38.5% of all cases. This is followed by anxiety-related issues, including generalized anxiety, panic attacks and phobias, making up nearly 20% of calls. Around 9.27% users sought help for stress linked to exams, workplace pressure, or relationship difficulties. Nearly 4% showed symptoms of losing touch with reality like hallucinations or delusional thinking while disturbing, suicidal thoughts or past attempts were recorded in 3.4% of consultations.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Pak shelling over, J&K border-zone trauma lingers: Report
Srinagar: Pakistani shelling in Operation Sindoor's aftermath last month did not just destroy homes and lives. It left scars on minds that aren't healing quickly, says a report by Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS-Kashmir) in Srinagar. The report paints a grim picture of mental health conditions in border areas, revealing deep-seated trauma, paranoia, anxiety, and sleep disturbances in adults and kids, and fears of unexploded shells among schoolchildren. After people returned home following a pause in the operation in mid-May, IMHANS teams visited areas in shelling-ravaged Uri to offer emotional support, check for stress, and tell people how to get help for mental health issues. Over 3,600 people were examined, including 794 women, 624 boys, and 815 girls. Check-ups, counselling, medicines, and advice on staying safe and dealing with stress were provided. 'Most patients were in visible distress, exhibiting signs of shock, confusion, and heightened anxiety. Despite residing close to LoC, many shared that they had never experienced shelling of such intensity and felt completely unprepared for it,' the report says. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cervecería Nacional CFD: Calcula cuánto podrías ganar invirtiendo solo $100 Empieza a invertir Inscríbete ahora Undo Families, especially children, were experiencing high levels of anxiety, confusion, and sleep disturbances. 'Many children displayed signs of distress such as clinginess, fear of separation from caregivers, and nightmares,' the report adds. The report prescribes a series of antidotes. It advocates partnerships to establish mental health clinics or regular outreach programs in border villages. It suggests training for local community members, teachers, and frontline workers in psychological first aid (PFA) and basic mental health assessment and support, enabling them to identify and refer cases needing specialised care. 'This can help overcome the dearth of resources and improve accessibility (to care),' the report states. The IMHANS specialists also highlight challenges, such as stigma surrounding mental health issues, making individuals reluctant to seek help or openly discuss their experiences. 'This can be exacerbated in traditional communities.' Beyond initial trauma, people in border areas face other stress factors such as uncertainty about the future, damage to property and livelihoods and loss of loved ones. 'Psychological first aid alone may not be sufficient to address chronic stress,' the report states.
