Helplines ringing off the hook in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: A 26-year-old engineering professional called Jeevan Aastha helpline on Sunday night and poured his heart out. Due to Covid-19 scenario, his job was in jeopardy, he was going through a turbulent phase in his relationship and was battling suicidal thoughts.
The death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput on Sunday not only unleashed a sense of disbelief and sorrow on social media but jolted many to the reality of them or their near ones battling mental distress, prompting them to make that call seeking help considered the first, giant step towards mental well-being.
Pravin Valera, coordinator of Jeevan Aastha, said that the counsellor spoke with the young engineer for nearly half an hour, prodded him to take medication for depression while assuring him that their support was just a call away, always. “His was one among the slew of calls that were triggered by death of Rajput,” he said. “Our daily average is about 50 calls. But we received 148 calls on Sunday and an additional 50 on Monday till 4 pm, recording a four-fold rise in 24 hours.”
Call volume doubles at helpline
At Saath, another suicide prevention helpline, the counsellors recorded call volume doubling. “Death of a celebrity has a shock value, and many identify their conditions with the star. In several cases, relatives also called up after spotting what they thought were signs of distress,” said Anju Sheth, director of Saath Suicide Prevention Centre. “But our appeal to society is – don’t make it an issue of a couple of days. Don’t stigmatize depression and provide sustained support to the person in need.”
The state-run 1100 psychology helpline – primarily aimed at providing psychological support to the Covid-19 patients – also recorded 25% rise in 24 hours. Dr Ajay Chauhan, medical superintendent of Hospital for Mental Health (HMH) and coordinator for the initiative, said that against an average of 200-225 calls daily, they had received 50-odd additional calls till 5 pm.
“Mental health is as important as physical health and we often miss this point. Like diabetes and hypertension, it can happen to anyone. Sustained effort is needed for mental well being,' said Dr Chauhan.
Dr Hansal Bhachech, a city-based psychiatrist, said that the frenzy around a star’s death is often triggered by the feeling of missing out (FOMO). “We must have seen several messages of ‘talk to me,’ but how many actually reach out for the same?” he asked. “Often, a compassionate pat on the back is better than a sermon of one hour to soothe some tense nerves.”