CHENNAI: Heightened levels of stress, job losses, financial difficulties, prolonged isolation and health scares of various degrees have been factors detrimental to one's mental health amid the pandemic.
Despite help being rendered to those in need via (paid) online consultations, therapy and counselling, and in the form of (free) mental health and suicide prevention helplines, the state has been falling short on mental health care services, it seems.
"Earlier during the pandemic, I lost someone I knew to suicide. While there are helplines providing support, a dearth of more networks of this kind keep the lines busy. This unfortunate event pushed us to start Kai (hand), a mental health and suicide prevention helpline," shares Swati Narayan, a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA)-psychologist and founder of Kai.
"I've been running ProACT, a mental health service combining the science of acceptance and commitment therapy to resolve conflict and ease the pain, for three years now. Kai is a not-for-profit offshoot," she shares.
The free helpline was launched last year and Swati says that it was born out of the need to ensure that nobody's cry for help goes unheard and nobody’s state of mind is ignored.
"Our helplines function six days a week and for the last several months, we have been working on hearing out the troubles of those who call us, and in the process, restore hope and faith in their hearts and mind," she says.
The pan-India helpline, besides offering call support also provides chat support. "We've observed that many don't feel comfortable speaking over the phone. In such cases, a therapist is available to chat with anyone in need. We are looking at the helpline as a prevention portal and are hoping more such helplines, with qualified professionals come up. More the ears and support, better the chances of prevention," she shares.
From initially receiving calls from school-goers, teenagers and young adults about exams, loss of university/college experiences and uncertainty of landing jobs, Swati notes that the demographic of calls, during the second wave, has been leaning more towards people in their mid-20s, 30s and 40s. "The calls have been from people dealing with a lot of professional stress, confusion at the workplace and about lack of jobs," she adds.
The helpline is currently managed by a seven-member team comprising psychologists and social workers. "We follow a well-planned roster system and take turns to handle the helpline. While we aren't looking to recruit more people on board now, our current focus is on creating awareness about the helpline among people, especially those who cannot afford other mental health services. We want people to know that there is help available and that it is free," she shares.
(For details, visit: www. kaithehelpline.com, info@proactllp.com)
Reach out
Mental Health Helpline Number: 9884646231 (India Only)
The helpline service is available from 7 am through 10 pm from, Monday to Saturday