Bengaluru: Arogya Sahayaavani 104, Helpline Health State Government, handling the call of 42.6 lakh related to mental health problems since the beginning of 2013, preventing 2,062 suicide and providing counseling in almost 7,000 cases of depression.
Mental health problems accounted for 1.8% of the 2.3 crore calls received by a credit free helpline.
“Of the 100 valid calls, at least two will be related to mental health problems, including suicide,” said the Ministry of Health officials.
The number of calls seeking help for depression and suicidal thinking gradually decreases.
Per week, Helpline gets around three original calls related to suicide thoughts.
In 2013, 13 suicide was avoided, which increased to 491 in 2019 but was dipped in 173 in 2020.
In 2021, there were 120 cases like that.
This experience is not the same at the Bengaluru Suicide Prevention Help.
Helpline Prevention of Sahai Suicide is run by the Medico-Pastoral Association (MPA), receiving 10-15 original calls every day and the number passes 20 on a few days at the peak of the pandemic.
Helpline Sa-Mudra Yuva gets almost 25 calls a day.
Even though not all came from those who took extreme steps, the pressed caller acknowledged having suicidal thinking, say the counselor.
What most Helble is a call disruption and a high friction rate.
According to data with Arogya SahayaVani, the majority of callers aged 15-24.
Helpline has prevented 1,156 people from this age group take extreme steps, the officer said.
Although psychiatrists say there is no special reason that can be associated with suicide, Helpline has categorized the top four reasons as a failure of love, family problems, career guidance and emotional problems.
Bharathi Singh, founder and managing Guardian Helpline Sa-Mudra Yuva which began in 2008, said the goal was to provide free counseling to children to guide them in career, emotional and anxiety.
“Callers are given love and comfort and hearing patients.
We try to find out what their support system is, and if they have parents, friends, colleagues or elders around and what has become their coping system.
We don’t judge callers and don’t have to sympathize With them, “said Dr.
Singh.
Helpline has got a call from as far as Dubai and Australia too.
Calls to the help channel increase during pandemic.
“The majority is related to losing work, young people fighting within the boundaries of houses during locking, stress because of the fear of the virus and lack of joy,” said Aneesh Thomas, Coordinator and counselor in Helpline Sahai.
While most callers were those who were seeking help when they felt depressed, Helpline also got a call from those who only moved away from self-damage.
Every real call takes 30-45 minutes and there is a follow-up.