‘Speak2Us’, a mental health helpline in Madurai, gives the much needed emotional support

MADURAI: Mental health helpline Speak2Us, established in Oct 2020 by M.S. Chellamuthu Trust, has received over 1,200 calls from public seeking assistance. Volunteers shared their experiences ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day. Helpline provides guidance, educates on mental health & helps rebuild lives. Managed by volunteers from different walks of life, it provides psychological first aid to callers on issues like academics, health, relationship, suicidal thoughts, finances & career. Since inception, 1,273 calls have been received, 908 of which were distress calls. Volunteers listen to woes, instilling confidence & dropping intention to end lives.

Speak2Us, a mental health helpline, established in October 2020 by the M. S. Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation, has so far received over 1,200 calls from the general public seeking assistance in times of emotional distress, said the helpline volunteers here on Thursday.

Ahead of the World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, the theme for which is ‘creating hope through action’, the volunteers shared their experiences with the media persons in Madurai.

The objective of the helpline, they said, was to guide the callers who are under emotional distress by educating them about mental health and also helping them rebuild their lives in case of any adverse event, said Srividhya, a volunteer. The uniqueness of the helpline, she said was that it was completely managed by volunteers, who were from different walks of life.

The helpline volunteers handling the tele-calls at 9375493754 include doctors, advocates, students, psychologists and among other professionals, said G. Gurubharathy, Principal of MS Chellamuthu Institute of Mental Health and Rehabilitation and added that the Tamil Nadu government should introduce mental health as a subject in the school curricula and it would help make children to be familiar with the issues. Like value education which was taught in schools, the government should examine the modalities and introduce happiness as a curriculum., he added

Attributing the birth of the Speak2Us helpline to the Trust founder C. Ramasubramanian, a renowned Psychiatrist, he said that it was created to provide a safe supportive space to speak about the distress of the callers and promote their mental well being. “The HCL Foundation and Basic Needs India Bangalore are partners with the Chellamuthu Trust in the helpline initiative”, he added.

The helpline has 67 volunteers, who work on six shifts and receive calls on all seven days from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m using cloud technology. Responding to a query, they said that the helpline calls were audited and the conversations were strictly confidential. The volunteers said that the helpline was nothing but a “psychological first aid” and many callers had issues on academics, health, relationship, suicidal thoughts, financial issues and career related problems.

The volunteers said that in the last two years since inception, they have received 1,273 calls which included 908 distress calls and among others. They also said that in majority of the cases, the callers seemed to be relieved upon sharing their problems. “We listen to their woes... This is a platform where the public can share their agony and vent out. This instils confidence among them and they drop their intention to end lives,” said Hema Arun, a volunteer.