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Anxiety/Stress, Depression, Relationship issues rank the highest among Indian men
India
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New Delhi, November 20, 2021 :
On International Men’s Day, the ‘BMC-Mpower 1on1’, 24×7 mental health helpline, launched by Mpower in association with the Government of Maharashtra and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), announced that 70% of their callers are male.
The figures shed light on the lesser spoken about reality surrounding the fragile state of mental health among Indian men. The data, which showed a higher number of male callers (70%) compared to female callers (30%) further busted the stereotype that men don’t express themselves as freely as women. While the overall range of callers were between 18-85 years of age, Mpower’s helpline revealed that millennial Indian men were the most impacted by mental health issues, as the most callers were between 26-40 years.
Since its launch in April 2020, the helpline has received over 81,864 calls. Among the key mental health problems faced by Indian men, the Mpower helpline received 30% calls from those who were experiencing anxiety/ stress, primarily related to job uncertainties, issues at workplace, fear of contracting COVID-19 to self and loved ones, physical health issues, and exam & career related stress, 22% of the calls were about depression and having a low mood and 30% of the calls were relationship-based – concerning their partners or family members.
Within Maharashtra, the helpline received large numbers of calls from cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Nashik. Although the helpline was initially launched to address mental health concerns within the state of Maharashtra, it also recorded calls from other cities in the country, including Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Bengaluru.
Help is available 24×7 at the BMC-Mpower 1on1 mental health helpline where experienced and qualified psychologists address queries in English, Marathi & Hindi. The helpline can be availed by anyone above 18 years of age on the toll-free number 1800-120-820050. Looking at the response to the helpline and to make mental health services even more accessible, Mpower also launched ‘Let’s Chat 1on1’, a mental health chat service via its website https://mpowerminds.com/chat-with-us
Commenting on the stigma around men’s mental health, Mrs. Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson, Mpower, said, “The fact that 70% of the callers are men is a silver lining in the dark cloud. This proves that as a society, we are making steady progress towards accepting that men too face mental health issues, and that they can speak out when they need help, without being judged or perceived as weak. As we continue on this path, we also need to concentrate our efforts towards sensitization of everyone in a man’s life, that it is normal for men to feel emotional. It is okay to not be okay, but it is very important to seek professional help to process these emotions, to overcome difficult situations. Hence, it becomes imperative to talk about the importance of mental well-being among boys at an early age.
She further added “COVID-19 has taken a toll on the physical health of millions of people. But the mental health effects are even more debilitating. Through our helpline, we have lent an ear to Indians to share their pent-up feelings. We are happy that around 82,000 people have reached out to our Let’s Talk 1on1 helpline and we encourage more people to seek help.”
Since the onset of the pandemic, Mpower – a pioneer in Indian mental healthcare by Aditya Birla Education Trust, has intensified its efforts to alleviate the stigma around mental health, through various initiatives. Some of these include Mpower 1on1 24×7 helpline, Mpower eClinic for tier 2 towns, ‘Minds Matter’ school curriculum, mental health counselling & therapy for Mumbai Police and healthcare workers and rural mental health project in Jalna. For delivery of top-notch clinical services in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pilani, Goa, Kalyan and Hyderabad, Mpower was recently accorded with ISO 9001:2015 certification.
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