Grief, memories of those who passed away due to Covid-19, insomnia, and behavioural changes among children — these are some of the top concerns discussed by callers on the 24×7 helpline set up by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru.
The institute has received over 6 lakh calls since its launch during the lockdown in March and the majority of the callers had no history of clinical mental illness. Earlier, 14% of the total callers were advised further counselling whereas the number currently stands at 30% — signalling the impact of the pandemic’s second wave on the mental health of the Indian population.
“The maximum calls were received in April 2020, immediately after its launch, as people were more anxious and wanted to know more about Covid-19. Around 2.5 lakh calls were received the same month,” Dr Pratima Murthy, director, NIMHANS, told News18.com. “The other peak was achieved in June 2021 — during the second wave — when around 64,500 calls were received.”
What’s different
Dr Murthy, who also headed the department of psychiatry at the institute earlier, explained that the concerns of callers last year were different from the present issues.
“During the first peak, people wanted to know more about the pandemic and how it will impact their life, whereas during the second peak the callers expressed feelings of grief, complaints of insomnia and recollection of memories of someone who lost their lives due to Covid-19,” she said.
When the helpline was launched, people called regarding the availability of treatment and anticipation of the arrival of vaccines, fear of losing jobs, managing stress related to the postponement of exams, as well as concerns about migration of workers. Now, apart from anxiety, people are suffering from grief and a collection of good and bad memories related to family members.
The NIMHANS helpline (080-4611 0007) was set up on March 25, the same day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. On average, the helpline has been receiving around 10,000 calls every month. The top 5 locations from where calls have been received are Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.
Callers raising concerns about behavioural changes in children
The helpline, according to Dr Murthy, has also been receiving questions related to behavioural problems among children.
“The parents want to seek help and discuss issues such as lack of outdoor activities, excessive use of mobile phones, management of anger issues, eating problems among children,” she said.
To address the concerns related to children and the impact of the pandemic on their mental growth, the institute along with the ministry of women and child development (WCD) has begun an initiative called “Samvaad”.
“The programme has been launched in 22 states where children will be counselled by a team of thorough professionals including child psychiatrists and psychologists,” said the NIMHANS director.
Dr Murthy said that mental health has come into the spotlight following the pandemic as people started experiencing distress. “The dialogue over mental health has begun and now it’s time to reduce the stigma attached to it and improve the resources,” she said.
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