J&K leads in mental health helpline calls
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
13 hours ago
- News18
More Palestinians killed as they seek aid
Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Aug 10 (AP) At least 31 Palestinians were killed while seeking aid in Gaza, hospitals and witnesses said. Hospital officials said they received bodies from areas along truck convoy routes or near privately run aid distribution points. The Associated Press spoke to witnesses of gunfire in the Israeli-controlled Morag and Netzarim corridors and the Teina area in the south. All accused Israeli forces of firing at crowds as people tried to reach food distributions or waited for convoys. Fifteen people were killed while waiting for trucks near the Morag corridor that separates the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, according to Nasser hospital. The situation is a 'death trap", said Jamal al-Laweh, who said Israeli forces opened fire there. 'But I have no other choice to feed the kids." Six were killed while waiting for aid in northern Gaza near the Zikim crossing, according to Gaza's Health Ministry and Shifa hospital. In central Gaza, witnesses said they heard warning shots before fire was aimed toward crowds trying to reach a distribution site operated by the Israeli-backed and US-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The AP could not independently confirm who fired. Awda hospital said four people were killed by Israeli gunfire. Six other aid-seekers were killed while trying to reach GHF sites in Khan Younis and Rafah, Nasser hospital said. The GHF sites opened in May as an alternative to the UN-run aid system, but operations have been marred by deaths and chaos. Seven people were killed in airstrikes, local hospitals said — three near the fishermen's port in Gaza City and four, two of them children, in a tent in Khan Younis. Israel's military did not immediately comment. Hunger death toll among children hits 100 Israel's air and ground offensive has displaced most of Gaza's population and pushed the territory toward famine. Two Palestinian children died of malnutrition-related causes on Saturday, bringing the toll among children to 100 since the war began. At least 117 adults have died of malnutrition-related causes since June, when the ministry started to count them. The hunger toll is in addition to the ministry's war toll of 61,400 Palestinians. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, doesn't distinguish between fighters or civilians, but says around half of the dead have been women and children. The UN and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties. Labour strike urged in Israel over looming offensive Relatives of hostages urged Israeli companies to declare a general strike next week over the plans to expand military operations in Gaza City, fearing it will endanger their loved ones. Fifty hostages remain after being taken in the Hamas-led attack on Oct 7, 2023, that sparked the war, with 20 of them believed to be alive. Lishay Miran-Lavi, whose husband, Omri, is among the hostages, appealed to US President Donald Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff to halt the fighting. Also Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz toured part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where about 40,000 Palestinians have been driven from their homes this year in the West Bank's largest displacement since Israel captured the territory in 1967. Israel says the operations are needed to stamp out militancy, as violence by all sides has surged since the war in Gaza began. Katz said the military would remain in the area's refugee camps at least until the end of the year. (AP) SCY SCY (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 10, 2025, 22:15 IST News agency-feeds More Palestinians killed as they seek aid Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
National-level para-athlete among 2 dead after being bitted by dog in Odisha's Bolangir
A national-level para-athlete died after being bitten by a dog in Odisha's Bolangir. The Centre last month said that more than 37 lakh cases of dog bites and 54 suspected human rabies deaths had been reported in 2024.(HT Photo) The dog allegedly attacked six people on July 23, and also some students on their way to school, after it went on a biting spree, NDTV reported. The injured were then rushed to the Bolangir district headquarters hospital, and were eventually referred to Burla. Among those attacked, para-athlete Jogendra Chhatria (33), and Hrushikesh Rana, 48, succumbed to their injuries on Saturday (July 9) while undergoing treatment at the hospital. Over 37 lakh dog bite cases in 2024 The Centre last month said that more than 37 lakh cases of dog bites and 54 suspected human rabies deaths had been reported in 2024, PTI reported. Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying S P Singh Baghel, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, said that data on the dog bite cases and suspected rabies deaths had been gathered from states and union territories under the National Rabies Control Program. The program was carried out by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The total cases of dog bites in India stood at 37,17,336 in 2024, data released by the NCDC said. Baghel said that his ministry had issued an advisory to all states in 2024, asking them to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, and activities related to it. The minister said that this was done to ensure the safety and security of children, particularly toddlers, from stray dog attacks.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
Bain Capital-backed Heartflow valued at $2.27 billion in solid Nasdaq debut
New York: Medtech firm Heartflow was valued at $2.27 billion on Friday, with its shares surging 47.4% in the Nasdaq debut , as the IPO market gathers momentum and outrides tariff worries. The shares opened at $28 and went as high as $31.5, signaling robust investor appetite for companies leveraging artificial intelligence for healthcare. Heartflow sold about 16.67 million shares at $19 each in its IPO on Thursday, raising $316.7 million. The Bain Capital-backed company's debut comes as expectations of a softer trade policy and lower interest rates boost investor sentiment , which had nosedived after U.S. tariffs in April stoked recession fears. The market sentiment reflects "nervous excitement", said Matt Kennedy, senior strategist at IPO-focused research and ETFs provider Renaissance Capital. "We saw a spike in volatility last week, but at the same time stocks (are) flying up on AI-driven earnings blowouts." Space tech startup Firefly Aerospace and design software firm Figma saw stellar first-day reactions in recent days, strengthening prospects for tech-focused companies to go public. Heartflow's first-day pop could help boost market perception for other medtechs, which often rely on vast research and development expenditure, with clinical testing further pressuring the bottom line. Beta Bionics and Kestra Medical had solid debuts earlier this year, but are now trading below their IPO price, like most medtech IPOs of the past year. "If investors keep losing, they just won't show up and companies will struggle to raise IPO funding," Kennedy added, referring to underwhelming post-listing performance from several medtech IPOs in the past year. Founded in 2007, Heartflow helps physicians diagnose and treat heart disease. Its AI-enabled products can create a personalized 3D model of a patient's heart via a single specialized scan. The company's revenue rose 39% in the quarter ended March 31 from a year ago. Its losses, however, widened 55% to $32.35 million during the same period.
