Tele- MANAS would offer remote access to mental health professionals, said Dr Ritu Thurr, Mission Director National Health Mission, at the launching ceremony held at the State Mental Health institute under the auspices of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
The initiative enables early screening and identification of mental health issues, facilitating timely intervention and care, he added. Mental Health extends to thinking patterns, emotions, behaviour, stress management, relationships and decision making, said the Mission Director, highlighting the elaborate, emotional, psychological, social expanse mental health encompasses. Mental health
Tele-MANAS aims to minimise the stigma attached to seeking mental health support through technology-driven mental health services, he added. With its existing resources and strategic implementation, the programme would foster improvements in mental health while challenging societal stigmas said Thurr. Senior Medical Officer(SMO), Nagaland State Mental Health Institute, Dr Nuvotso Khesoh, also stressed upon the ubiquity of mental health challenges and underlined mental illness as a leading contributor to ill health and disability worldwide and emphasised on the urgency of accessible, affordable, and convenient care.
