Telangana government launches tele-mental health toll-free number

Hyderabad: In a unique initiative at providing remote mental health support to individuals seeking help and guidance, the State government on Tuesday launched a tele-mental health toll-free number 14416, which will be available round the clock, even during weekends and holidays. The tele-mental health call centre will provide remote consultations to persons experiencing mental health […]

Hyderabad: In a unique initiative at providing remote mental health support to individuals seeking help and guidance, the State government on Tuesday launched a tele-mental health toll-free number 14416, which will be available round the clock, even during weekends and holidays.

The tele-mental health call centre will provide remote consultations to persons experiencing mental health breakdowns and even those who are on the verge of ending their lives by suicide. The counsellors and psychiatrists have been specially trained to receive and attend to calls from individuals experiencing such immense stress.

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The call centre will be manned by a team of 25 counsellors and three psychiatrists, who will provide the necessary guidance and help to persons with mental health issues. The team has received special training on handling calls at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru.

“We are witnessing a significant rise in individuals who need mental health support but have no clue on how to get it. Making a phone call to this special number will definitely provide them some privacy and assurance that their medical condition and other personal information will be safe with us,” said Health Minister, T Harish Rao, after launching the toll-free number.

The call centre will closely work with senior psychiatrists from Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Erragadda so that callers, if needed, can be provided inpatient facilities at the government mental health centre.