TIRUCHY: Recognising the mental health challenges faced by trans persons owing to family rejection, social stigma and isolation, Tiruchy-based Community Renovation and Organisation Advancement Trust (COROAT) launched Manasu, a bilingual (Tamil-English) mental wellness app that will help users to access counselling and self-help resources.
V Balakrishnan, Inspector General of Police (Central Range), launched the app on Monday and it was received by Dr P Mohana Nayak, non-official member of the Tamil Nadu Thirunangai Welfare Board. The initiative evolved from COROAT’s four-year-old ‘She in He Avanul Aval programme’, under which over 300 trans persons from 10 districts underwent training in self-awareness, mental well-being and life skills.
COROAT founder M Padmavathi Vasanthan said training helped temporarily, but many participants returned to lives marked by rejection, discrimination and loneliness. While there are no official records on suicides among trans persons, Padmavathi said community networks indicate the issue is far more prevalent than documented.
“We come across reports of at least one trans person dying by suicide every two months in cities like Tiruchy. We wanted to create something that stays with people every day and helps them pause, reflect and seek support when they need it,” she told TNIE. She estimated that Tiruchy has a floating trans population of around 2,000 people from central districts.
The app asks users to choose their emotional state through a colour-coded mood scale and answer eight questions that help them understand their state of mind. Based on the responses, it offers guided audio and video resources, a chatbot, mood tracking, feedback options, and access to free and paid mental health counsellors. Users expressing thoughts of self-harm are directed to crisis support services.
S Amritha, a trans person, said loneliness was one of the biggest struggles the community faces. “Many of us no longer have families. Whether we are within the community or outside it, we are constantly conscious of ourselves, and that drains us mentally. Many survive through sex work or by seeking money from the public,” she said.