Tele-MANAS: India's 24/7 Mental Health Helpline

A medical emergency in the family doesn't only affect the patient. Caregivers, siblings, and organizers running a fundraiser under pressure often go through real psychological strain that gets no attention until it becomes a crisis of its own.

What Tele-MANAS Is

How to Reach It

Tele-MANAS (Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) is the Government of India's national tele-mental-health programme, launched via the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It's reachable at the short code 14416 or the toll-free number 1800-891-4416, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no cost, in English and 20 regional languages, and covers every state and union territory.

What Happens When You Call

Calling connects you to a trained counsellor who listens, assesses the situation, and provides immediate support, including basic counselling. If the counsellor determines that further care would help, they can connect you to a mental health professional, and with consent, arrange a secure video consultation for more personalized follow-up.

Who This Is For

This service is for anyone: a patient processing a difficult diagnosis, a parent who hasn't slept properly in weeks, a volunteer feeling the weight of other people's emergencies, or anyone going through a mental health crisis for reasons that have nothing to do with a hospital at all. There's no referral needed, and no cost.

HelpIndiaBreathe isn't a mental health service and doesn't provide counselling. We list Tele-MANAS because caregiving for someone else's emergency is its own kind of emergency, and too few people know a free, government-run, 24/7 option already exists for it.