New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) Thirty-six states and Union territories have set up 53 Tele-MANAS cells to provide mental health services and more than 15.95 lakh calls were handled through the helpline till November 22, Union Health Minister J P Nadda told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

The National Tele-Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) was launched on October 10, 2022, to improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country, he said.

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Responding to a question, he said the government has established a dedicated Tele-MANAS or Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States cell at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune to extend tele-mental health assistance and support to all armed forces service personnel and their dependents.

Armed forces personnel on dialling the Tele-MANAS toll-free helpline number --14416 -- from any part of the country would be connected to the state Tele-MANAS Cell, from where their call would be re-directed to the dedicated Tele-MANAS Cell at the AFMC, Nadda said.

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The call is handled by trained counsellors and mental health professionals stationed at AFMC, who are equipped to address the specific mental health challenges faced by the personnel, he added.

Further, the Armed Forces Medical Services has one of the largest systems for providing organised mental healthcare in the country delivering services through psychiatry centres which are an integral part of the large Armed Forces hospitals at the Zonal or Command levels, Nadda said.

A Centre of Excellence for Mental Health was approved under the Manpower Development Scheme of the National Mental Health Programme at Dr Rajendra Prasad Govt. Medical College in Himachal Pradesh in 2016-17.

Support has been provided for the construction, procurement of technical and non-technical equipment, library and salary for faculty. An amount of Rs 27,63,30,000 has been released to the institute to date, including Rs 2,80,30,000, which was released in March 2024, Nadda informed.

He also listed several steps that have been taken to improve mental health and well-being among adolescents.

He said the District Mental Health Programme is implemented under the National Mental Health Programme in 767 districts of the country to detect, manage and treat mental illness with the components of counselling in schools and colleges, workplace stress management, life skills training, suicide prevention services and Information, education and Communication (IEC) activities for generation of awareness and removal of stigma associated with mental illness.

"Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health" is incorporated as a dedicated module under the Ayushman Bharat School Health and Wellness Programme. Health and wellness ambassadors are trained on mental health along with other thematic areas of the programme, take interactive sessions with the students and percolate the messages through weekly sessions promoting joyful learning, Nadda stated.

The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through its Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics, Peer Education Programme and Adolescent Health and Wellness Days creates awareness of mental health issues and provides counselling services.

The Ministry of Education has launched an initiative, Manodarpan, with the aim to provide psychosocial support to students, their families and teachers across the country, for mental health and well-being, Nadda said.

All activities undertaken under the Manodarpan initiative are aimed towards supporting the mental health and well-being of students from schools, colleges and universities, including those students who are preparing for competitive examinations, he stated.

The University Grants Commission has issued guidelines for the promotion of physical fitness, sports, student health, welfare, and psychological and emotional well-being at Higher Education Institutions as a safeguard against academic pressure, behavioural issues, career concerns, depression and other issues, Nadda stated.

A 15-member National Task Force constituted by the Anti-Ragging Committee of the National Medical Commission recommended the establishment of centralised reporting systems, promoting a supportive environment, addressing systemic issues, and implementation of regular training programs, among others to address mental health issues in medical students, Nadda said.

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