Madurai: Volunteers of the ‘Speak2us’, a mental health helpline, have urged the state government to explore the possibility of introducing mental health as a subject in the school and college curriculum.
Ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, with this year’s theme ‘Creating hope through action’, volunteers of the helpline shared their experiences to reporters on Thursday.
A volunteer, Srividhya said that the main objective of the helpline is to provide a safe and supportive space for people to share their stress. The information that they share would be confidential. She said that the uniqueness of the helpline is that it is completely managed by the volunteers.
She said that a total of 67 volunteers would handle calls at ‘93754 93754’ in six shifts from 9am to 6pm on all days. The volunteers would provide ‘psychological first aid’ to the callers and would refer them to counsellors for further help. So far they received 1,273 calls including 908 distress calls with issues related to academics, health, relationship, suicidal thoughts, she added.
Principal of M S Chellamuthu Institute of Mental Health and Rehabilitation, G Gurubharathy said that the state government should explore the possibility of introducing mental health as a subject in the curriculum at schools and colleges for the students to be sensitised on the topic.
