City’s mental health helpline got 1.19 lakh calls in three years

Data from the helpline highlights people’s growing struggle to cope with the demands of a fast-paced lifestyle. Twenty-four percent of calls were related to depression, 22 percent to anxiety and seven percent involved suicidal thoughts. The service provides counselling and support tailored to individual mental health challenges

MUMBAI: Launched three years ago in response to mental health challenges caused and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the BMC-Mpower helpline, a corporate-government tie-up, has received a total of 1.19 lakh calls to date. The free helpline, operational 24/7, aims to assist individuals dealing with stress, anxiety and depression.

City’s mental health helpline got 1.19 lakh calls in three years

Data from the helpline highlights people’s growing struggle to cope with the demands of a fast-paced lifestyle. Twenty-four percent of calls were related to depression, 22 percent to anxiety and seven percent involved suicidal thoughts. The service provides counselling and support tailored to individual mental health challenges.

The majority of calls, 46 percent, were from individuals aged between 26 and 40, indicating a significant need for mental health support in this age group. Interestingly, 63 percent of calls came in from males and 37 percent from females. Dilshad Khurana, psychologist and head of the helpline, noted that the considerable number of male callers could be attributed to traditional mindsets, where men hesitate to access support systems or freely express themselves to family members.

Khurana emphasised that the primary goal of the helpline was to offer support and assistance. “Our team of psychologists is well-equipped to provide counselling and guidance,” she said. “In cases where we identify the need for specialised psychiatric assessment, we advise individuals to consult a professional psychiatrist for a more comprehensive treatment plan.”

Red flags, such as callers expressing suicidal thoughts, are conveyed to the relevant government agencies, said Khurana. “Our approach is to de-escalate and calm the person, equipping them with coping skills tailored to their concerns, and subsequently informing appropriate government agencies to provide swift further assistance,” she said.

Speaking about more men seeking help, Dr Neena Sawant, president of the Indian Psychiatric Society-West Zone, said that the universal trend of women being more prone to depression was changing. “Many men are complaining of loneliness,” she said. “This trend is definitely here, and soon we may not see a gender divide when it comes to depression and anxiety.”

Dr Avinash Desousa, past president of the Bombay Psychiatric Society, said that the earlier tendency of men to suffer in silence had changed. “Men have realised that they need support and are coming forward to seek professional help,” he said. “Like the data indications of the Mpower helpline analysis, I too have been seeing patients in the age group of 25 to 45, mostly men, for counselling and therapy.”

Dr Desousa said that most of his male patients had anxiety, panic issues and sleep-related complaints. “Most face issues related to work stress, finance and marriage,” he said. “In the last few years, the numbers have increased. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated these issues; it has led to unemployment, a shift in lifestyle, relationship conflicts, divorces and separations.”

Dr Sawant, who recently created a mental well-being app, said there was more awareness on mental health in metros and among youngsters. “Compared to what we saw a decade ago, Gen Z is much more aware,” she said. “Even if the parents are still unaccepting, students are coming forward to seek help. The new generation is open to discussing its mental health and is willing to seek help.”