Mumbai, 9^th October 2020 – This World Mental Health Day, commemorated on 10^th October, sees the launch of Mann Talks, an initiative to empower individuals, from underserved sections of the society, to take charge of their mental health by offering free and holistic tech-enabled mental health solutions.

The initiative is founded on the belief that mental health is an integral and essential component of health. By democratizing access to information, strengthening support systems and providing quality services, Mann Talks hopes to transform lives.

It is estimated that 1 in 7 Indians suffer from poor mental health[1]. Common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety go undiagnosed or untreated due to lack of public understanding, stigma, and the dearth of trained mental health professionals. Amidst a global pandemic, the situation has only worsened due to various inter sectional factors, including forced isolation, unemployment and inability to access previously available services.

Mann Talks believes in taking a collaborative approach and has partnered with pioneering organizations in the social sector including Dasra, iCALL and White Swan Foundation for mental health. Mann Talks has a three-pronged approach, a helpline, a digital portal and on-ground activations. The helpline  will assist in free and confidential, emotional and psychological consultation through a team of trained mental health professionals.

The helpline has standardized protocols in adherence to the best practices in the sector. The digital portal will impart simplified, medically vetted knowledge on mental health in regional languages. It will also include information for care-givers to enable them to help their loved ones. Lastly, for on-ground activations, Mann Talks will be exploring high-impact pilots to integrate mental health services into existing government and community systems.

Individuals looking for support can access ‘Mann Talks’ and speak to a counsellor by simply calling 8686139139 between 9 am to 6 pm on all days of the week. For further information, individuals can log on to www.manntalks.org. Mann Talks is an initiative of the Shantilal Shanghvi Foundation, the family foundation of Mr. Dilip Shanghvi.

[1] The Lancet Psychiatry article on ‘The burden of mental disorders across the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2017

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