Observing the Mental Health Day, Special guest and Secretary, H&FW, S. Tainiu officially launched the ‘Video Consultation of Tele MANAS’ at the conference hall, Directorate of Health & Family, Kohima on 10th October 2025.
Tele MANAS is a Government of India initiative launched to provide free, 24/7 tele-mental health services across the nation, aiming to make mental healthcare accessible to all citizens. It provides counselling, psychotherapy and psychiatric consultations via a toll-free helpline no- 14416 and a mobile application, offering a digital component of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) and ensuring linkages to in-person services when needed.
Speaking on the occasion, Tainiu mentioned that we have come together with the rest of the global community to observe World Mental Health Day 2025 with a theme "Access to Services-Mental health in catastrophes and emergencies’. The theme emphasizes the critical need to ensure and improve mental health support during the time of crisis, such as natural disasters, conflicts and other emergencies.
She stated that World Mental Health Day was celebrated for the first time on 10th October 1992 under the initiative of World federation for mental health which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues and encourage efforts to support those experiencing mental health issues.
She highlighted that in recent times, the world is witnessing an increasing number of humanitarian emergencies-starting from wars to pandemics, to natural disasters and social unrest. In such times of natural disasters, armed conflicts, wars, and humanitarian crises, people use to experience trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, insomnia etc. Such events not only cause physical devastation but leave deep psychological scars. Yet mental health care remains one of the most neglected, overlook and underfunded components of emergency response. Therefore, the world federation for mental health (WFMH) calls attention to the urgent need for accessible, culturally sensitive and sustained mental health support in the wake of catastrophes and emergencies. The 2025 campaign urges governments, NGOs and health systems to prioritize mental health as a core element of disaster preparedness, disasters response and recovery.
She added that, in the case of our State, our unique geography and socio-cultural context makes the theme more relevant. The State is prone to landslides, floods and occasionally community tensions have seen how emergencies can disrupt not only physical safety but social harmony and emotional stability. During such times, uncertainty, displacement and loss can give raise to stress, grief and psychological distress. Therefore, she urged the need to create massive awareness on mental health, - to Reduces stigma, encourage early detection and intervention, to promote a supportive environment, improve physical health, enhances coping skills, strengthens relationships and foster societal well-being which will benefit in different ways. She concluded that we should see that no one should face this catastrophe alone but rescue each other. As the global community faces increasingly complex emergencies, we must ensure that mental care is available, accessible and equitable for all.
(Siizo Kikhi, IA)
