New Delhi: With mental health that emerged as a major concern in the ongoing pandemic, the Delhi government was working on a proposal to apply on-ground outreach through 11 cellular mental health units (MMHUS), one for each district.
The Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Sciences directed the implementation of the plan to work with the State Authority.
These cellular units will be available in a complete ambulance that will not only save and help with the treatment of destroyed mental diseases and homestounds, but also connect people who need counseling and follow-up services.
This facility will also help victims who are mentally depressed from violence and cases in the household where a person can try or be known to suffer from suicide thoughts.
In the end it was proposed to expand further reach to two mmhu in each district, according to Director of Ihbas Dr.
Nimesh Desai who guided the execution plan.
As soon as the second wave of the Delhi High Court has also recognized MMHU’s proposal and has been seeking its implementation as the earliest.
Desai said that this project is a need for hours because there are increased threats in depression due to induced pandemic pressure.
He warned that non-treated depression could be a trigger for suicide thinking.
He shared a case of a 28-year-old woman who tried to commit suicide twice and was taken to Ihbas three months back.
It turned out that his depression trigger had its roots in losing livelihoods.
One single mother and alone for her two children, a woman who worked as a beauty expert in Faridabad had seen her customers shrink during this year’s helpless.
These cellular units will take advantage of the two MMHU experience that began in pilot mode more than a decade ago in Ihbas.
Between 2012-21, cellular units have received 3,780 calls from those who seek help.
Teams reach 1,220 patients who need an assessment.
Over the years, 349 patients were taken for treatment for IHBA with mobile units and 113 were homeless people.
Desai said the expansion plan would expand the range and gamut services provided by the current cellphone unit.
“Prevention and suicide counseling that survived domestic violence is part of the plan because the proposal finally plans to base these cellular units in the district and connect the counselor and medical officers responsible for the hospital, district authorities, police and coordinated voluntary sectors “He explained.
It reminded that the victims of pandemic in mental health were rather severe, Desai said data on crisis support and counseling centers in Ihbas showed a call immediately after the first lock in March 2020 and peaked in July – August.
The main concern at that stage is anxiety, domestic violence, fear of Covid-19 infection, obsessive compulsive disorders, behavioral problems and adjustments.
Again during the second wave in 2021, calls began to increase in May and peaked in June.
This time the caller talks about loss and sadness, despair and helplessness, stressor (financial, uncertain future), stress and severe trauma.