India’s Tele-MANAS: evolution, early outcomes and a scalable blueprint for digital public mental health

AI Summary

Government led multilingual 24/7 helpline with stepped care, immediate counselling and escalation to psychiatrists or local services.
Responded to over 3.43 million calls nationwide; most callers report anxiety, depression or psychosocial stress, with a critical minority in suicidal distress.
WHO recognised scalable, equity-focused blueprint leveraging technology, task sharing and digital health integration to reduce the treatment gap in low and middle income countries.

Br J Psychiatry. 2026 Jul 17:1-5. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2026.10733. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

India’s Tele-MANAS (Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) programme, launched in October 2022, is the world’s largest government-led tele-mental-health initiative. Operating via a multilingual 24/7 helpline, it provides stepped-care support, offering immediate counselling and escalating complex cases to psychiatrists or local services. In its first few years, Tele-MANAS has responded to more than 3.43 million calls across all Indian states and union territories. The majority of callers present with anxiety, depression or psychosocial stressors, while a critical minority report suicidal distress. Features such as linguistic inclusivity, anonymity and integration with India’s digital health ecosystem have driven rapid uptake, particularly among young adults. A World Health Organization (WHO) assessment has recognised Tele-MANAS as a scalable and equity-focused solution. The initiative illustrates how low- and middle-income countries can leverage technology and task sharing to reduce the treatment gap, offering a potential global blueprint for digital mental health care. This article aims to provide a programmatic overview of Tele-MANAS, including its design, early outcomes and key implementation challenges.

PMID:42467064 | DOI:10.1192/bjp.2026.10733

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