To assist in mental health concerns of citizens owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Mpower, which is into Indian mental healthcare, has tied up with the Government of Maharashtra and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to launch a toll-free helpline number 1800-120-820050 .
Called ‘BMC-Mpower 1on1’ this facility will operate 24x7.
Available free of cost for people across cities of Maharashtra, the helpline comprises experienced and trained mental health counsellors, who are clinical psychologists and psychiatrists from Mpower.
The service is available in Marathi, Hindi and English to address any mental health concerns faced by citizens of Maharashtra during these times.
Maharashtra government and BMC will mobilise support by using its available infrastructure, communication channels and social media platforms to propagate the helpline and appeal to people to avail this service.
“These are times that the human race has never faced before. Since everyone has been forced to stay home this has given a rare opportunity to bond and spend time with families. But there will also be a sense of anxiety, disappointment and anger with the future of the global economy, our jobs and how the human race reached here. For that, the Government is launching a helpline for better mental health,” said Aditya Thackeray, Minister of Environment, Tourism and Protocol, government of Maharashtra.
“With the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent government mandated national lockdown, we have observed an increase in mental health concerns. Amidst the social isolation, people tend to feel lost and don’t know how to reach out and express themselves. To make mental healthcare more accessible and provide a trusted platform, we have partnered with Mpower. We encourage citizens to make maximum use of this service” said Praveen Pardeshi, Municipal Commissioner, Mumbai.
“In these trying times, it is natural for us to feel anxious and stressed and now more than ever we need to be more mindful and take care of our mental health. We together urge citizens of Maharashtra to speak up and seek help during these challenging times.”, said Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson, Mpower.
Over the last month, Mpower has seen a rise in new cases of mental health concerns like anxiety, stress, depression, paranoia during the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.
