Arts
1926: those who suffer in silence can text for help
The silent but severe impact of unseen mental issues has been a challenging topic to address openly. “What we noticed was that youth do not voice their distress easily because they don’t know how to express themselves,” explained Dr. Pushpa Ranasinghe, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist speaking at the launch of the toll-free 1926 national mental health helpline initiated by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in collaboration with Airtel Lanka.
Panel discussion: Shanuki de Alwis, Kanishka Ranaweera, Nivendra Uduman and Dr. Pushpa Ranasinghe. Pic by Priyanka Samaraweera
With a stronger focus on youth experiencing mental or emotional distress, the first tri-lingual text based helpline in Sri Lanka allows users to communicate with a trained mental health specialist from the NIMH through instant messaging for added ease and privacy.
Through their findings the NIMH has found that people are more likely to seek help through text rather than through a phone call or physical consultation. Text offers those who are uncomfortable with letting others see or hear how vulnerable they may be to still reach out to professionals and gain support.
Addressing the event on October 6 at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, Dr. Ranasinghe reminded listeners that in 1995 Sri Lanka had the highest suicide rate in the world. 25 years later, Sri Lanka currently stands at number 31 but while progress has been made as per the statistics, further steps are to be made in the world of mental health wellbeing and suicide prevention.
Prior to the panel discussion, CEO and Managing Director of Airtel, Ashish Chandra joining in virtually from India, said, “What we have realised, with the help of NIMH, is that a lot of people feel this way because they do not have a communication line opened up with someone who can counsel them, or help them or can listen to them, and that is where we think Airtel comes into the picture.”
Echoing Dr. Ranasinghe’s statement about the youth’s preference to use text over phone calls, he added that Airtel’s responsibility was to make treatment widely available to those in need through the chatline. With coverage across the entire island, the service is free for Airtel customers and is accessible for users of any other mobile network.
The panel discussion moderated by Shanuki De Alwis, Mental Health advocate and digital creator saw Dr. Ranasinghe with Nivendra Uduman, Counselling psychologist and psychotherapist and Kanishka Ranaweera, Head of HR at Airtel Lanka addressing the theme of “Mental Health for all, greater investment, greater access for everyone, everywhere”.
A major barrier when addressing mental health is the ongoing effort to remove the stigma which often shrouds this topic and prevents people from seeking help. The panel underscored the importance of early detection and refuted the assumption that help must only be sought in critical cases. Nivendra Uduman elaborated that the first step towards making people comfortable enough to accept assistance is to normalize the conversation about mental health.
While initiating these types of discussions among the younger members of the community can lead to a more positive outcome, language used to discuss these cases plays an equally important role. The use of derogatory words to refer to individuals living with depression and similar problems only contributes to this stigma. “How we use these words has a massive impact on someone deciding to reach out or not reach out and that can cost a life,” said Nivendra.
The 1926 Mental Health Chatline was made available from October 10- World Mental Health Day. Anyone can contact the line and receive instant assistance from a trained professional. After initial assistance, if the need arises, they will be directed for further treatment in any district.
For more information about the services offered by the NIMH visit: https://nimh.health.gov.lk/en/