Call for help: 1 in 3 says ‘mazaa nahi aa raha'
Ahmedabad: For Divya (name changed), 23, her love marriage after a year of courtship soon turned sour due to responsibilities of her in-laws and shrinking chances of life outside the home.
When the situation started manifesting as a
psychosomatic disorder
, she dialled 14416, the Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (
TeleMANAS
) helpline. And then there was a 72-year-old woman, who called to complain that nobody had time for her anymore, and that she felt increasingly lonely. These two cases are among the 16,700 calls from across Gujarat that mental health experts on the helpline have attended to.
As the helpline inches towards 17,000 calls in its operation over two years, coordinators tell TOI that an analysis indicates specific trends for specific age groups.
Overall, 36% of the callers sought help for general sadness or mood swings, saying 'mazaa nahi aa raha'. This, counsellors, said, points towards callers identifying early signs of mental health issues and seeking intervention.
Over 80% of the calls were from four major categories. Apart from general sadness or mood changes, three other categories included stress related to exams, work, or relationships; anxiety, phobia, or panic; and disturbed sleep.
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Dr Ajay Chauhan, medical superintendent of the Government Hospital for Mental Health, from where the counsellors guide callers on the helpline among other centres, said that post-Covid, there is a rise in awareness around mental health. "People from across age groups make the calls, but 70% of them are from the working population (18 to 45 years), and about two-thirds of the callers are men. We are creating awareness about the national helpline through various platforms," he said.
Dr Kevin Patel, a psychiatrist in Ahmedabad, said that compared to 2020, screen use has increased significantly. "The need of the hour is to create awareness about the mindful use of gadgets, especially for children and teens," he said.
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