How The Tele Mental Health Programme Will Help Eradicate Its Stigma In India
Taking note of the mental health issues during the pandemic, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presenting the Union Budget 2022-2023, announced that a national tele-mental health programme will be launched as pandemic accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages.
The coronavirus pandemic brought with it an invisible pandemic too -- anxiety and depression, lurking behind the physical and evident symptoms of the virus.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people¡¯s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness.
Taking note of the mental health issues during the pandemic, finance minister Nirmala Sitharama presenting the Union Budget 2022-2023, announced that a national tele-mental health programme will be launched as pandemic accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages.
"To better the access to quality mental health counseling and care services, a national Tele-mental health programme will be launched. This will include a network of 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence with NIMHANS being the nodal centre and International Institute of Information Technology, IIIT, Bangalore providing technology support," finance minister said during her budget address.
The pandemic has accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages. To better the access to quality mental health counseling and care services, a National Tele Mental Health program will be launched: FM Nirmala Sitharaman #Budget2022 pic.twitter.com/pAvtg9PTZd
¡ª ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2022
Sitharaman further said, ¡°An open platform for the national digital health ecosystem will be rolled out. It will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identities, consent framework and universal access to health facilities.¡±
The pandemic has led to lockdowns, curfews, job losses and deaths of family members putting pressure on the minds of citizens. The programme will aim to provide counselling to anyone in need apart from a host of other benefits.
Impact of the pandemic on mental health
A study by KFF.org published in February 2021, found that many adults are reporting specific negative impacts on their mental health and well-being due to the ongoing pandemic, such as difficulty sleeping (36%) or eating (32%), increases in alcohol consumption, or substance use (12%), and worsening chronic conditions (12%).
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COVID-19 positive patients often suffer from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress related to the disease. Frontline workers often face stigma from their community and family and have to deal with the fear of getting infected. They also suffer from burnout, anxiety, and insomnia related to overwhelming workloads.
While the challenges faced by COVID patients and frontline workers are relatively more noticeable, the issues that go unnoticed and unaddressed are that of the general population.
How tele counselling will help eradicate stigma
Teletherapy for mental health is seen as a pathbreaking model to eradicate stigma related to accessing mental health services.
People can now seek help for mental stress through virtual counseling and online training. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many people to receive help virtually.
Some researchers say that while it's a great offering to have in our toolkit, it's not a replacement for in-person care. And although there may be some sacrifices to quality, it has allowed us to see more patients during this time of need.
While current patients have for the most part overcome any stigma associated with seeking behavioral health care, barriers still exist for new patients.
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In India, mental health counselling is being normalised faster than ever, but that is mostly restricted to urban areas. With a tele mental health policy coming in place, it is expected to seep deeper and reach semi-urban and rural areas, where mental health is highly stigmatised.
The Government of India has initiated programs like the National Mental Health Program (NMHP) and District Mental Health Program (DMHP). During the initial lockdown period, under the mandate of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, the three central mental health institutions, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health (LGBRIMH), and Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) initiated a national helpline to provide support for mental health concerns arising out of COVID-19.
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