Mental Health Help in India 2026: When and How to Get Support (Tele-MANAS Helpline)

If you are feeling low, anxious, not sleeping, or having dark thoughts, you can get free help in India right now. The fastest option is Tele-MANAS, the government mental health helpline. Dial 14416 or 1800-89-14416. It is free, runs 24 hours a day, and works in about 20 Indian languages. A trained counsellor will listen to you and, if needed, connect you to a mental health professional. You do not need money, a doctor's note, or any app to start. You just call.

When should you reach out? You do not have to wait for things to get really bad. Reach out if you have felt sad or empty for two weeks or more, if worry or fear is stopping you from working or sleeping, if you are using alcohol or drugs to cope, or if money stress, job loss, or exam pressure is crushing you. If you are thinking about ending your life, or you cannot keep yourself safe, treat it as an emergency and call for help right away. These feelings are common and they can get better with support.

Tele-MANAS is run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It started on 10 October 2022. By December 2025 the helpline had handled more than 29,82,000 calls (about 29.8 lakh), a figure the government shared in Parliament. So you are far from alone in calling, and the system is built to take your call.

You do not need money to get mental health help in India. The Tele-MANAS call on 14416 is free, private, and open day and night.

What happens on the call? You pick your language, then a counsellor talks with you. It is confidential. They may give you simple ways to cope, set up a follow-up, or refer you to a doctor or a nearby clinic if you need more care. There is also a second national helpline called KIRAN, on 1800-599-0019, run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, free and 24/7 in 13 languages. Either one is a safe place to start.

Stay scam-aware. Real government helplines never ask you to pay, never ask for your bank OTP, and never demand an upfront fee for treatment. If anyone online promises a magic cure for money, walk away. This is general information, please check the official source before you act. The official site is telemanas.mohfw.gov.in.

Taking the first step is the hard part, and you just learned how to take it. While you are looking after yourself, if you want a simple free way to collect feedback, run a wellness check-in at work, or gather responses from a group, you can create your own form or survey free on SurveyHeart in a few minutes.