Surge in calls via national mental health helpline

Sri Lanka’s national mental health helpline has received 19,000 calls recorded during the past nine months alone, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says. This was revealed during a media tour of the Angoda-based facility, where officials disclosed that the toll-free 1926 helpline had received 19,164 calls from across the country.

Since its launch seven years ago, the 1926 service has fielded a total of 162,975 calls, according to NIMH spokespersons.

Last month, the helpline handled 2,500 calls, averaging 82 calls per day, said a senior NIMH official.

Officials said that the service was completely free of charge and assured that caller confidentiality was strictly protected.

By Sujatha Jayaratne

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