Distressed? Anxious? Depressed? Confused? Feel it’s the end of the road? Life is no longer worth living?
Surprisingly, most of us have felt these emotions some time in our lives. However, if they persist and prevent you from functioning at your best, interfere with your sleep and cause you to feel irritable and lonely, then we need to take notice of it.  
However, help is just a  phone call away. Our sensitive and trained volunteers are ready to listen while you speak to them about your concerns. At such times, a telephone helpline can often be a lifeline of hope and courage….

Who?
SPEAK2us is a helpline that offers both offline and online support services for psychosocial distress and mental health concerns.

• Psychological first aid
• Counselling
• Linkages with existing offline support services of MS Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation (MSCT&RF), Madurai, the largest mental service provider in south Tamil Nadu for people in distress

Where? Madurai, Tamil Nadu, South India
When?  Functional from September 10, 2020
What? SPEAK2us is an offering of SPEAK, an initiative of MSCTRF to address psychosocial distress, prevent suicide and to promote mental health.

• MSCT&RF, established in 1992 by well-known psychiatrist Dr. C. Ramasubramanian,  offers comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation services for people with mental illness, with a special focus on community mental health.
• With a vision of mental health for all, MSCT&RF promotes holistic mental health care that is available, accessible and affordable.
• MSCT&RF’s services include awareness,  assessment & treatment, rehabilitation,  vocational training,   human resource training and development, research, advocacy & lobbying.
• SPEAK, established in 2018, addresses the complex and sensitive issue of suicide and suicide prevention in a holistic and compassionate manner.
• SPEAK is supported by a team of mental health professionals that include psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychiatric social workers and volunteers. 
• Its integrated services that include creating awareness, early identification and treatment, advocacy and lobbying, and postvention for survivors of suicide loss.
• SPEAK creates and fosters safe and supportive spaces to change conversations on suicide and promote mental health.

Why?

• Globally, we are facing an unprecedented public health challenge—the outbreak of COVID-19 crisis. Our lives have been upended. 
• The virus has affected more than 213 countries globally. 
• It is natural for most of us to experience anxiety, stress and boredom under such destabilising conditions. In fact, it’s common for most of us to experience a sense of “collective grief or sorrow” at the tragedy.
• The social and economic fissures exposed by the pandemic will result in mass unemployment, depleted social safety nets, starvation, increase in gender-based violence, homelessness, alcoholism, loan defaults and millions slipping into poverty.
• This post-COVID-19 landscape will be a fertile breeding ground for an increase in chronic stress, anxiety, depression, alcohol dependence, and self-harm. 
• Going by the history of pandemics, and the knock-on effects of an inevitable economic downturn, India is looking at a mental health crisis, with suicide-related deaths as its lead indicator.
• At-risk populations: the 150 million with pre-existing mental health issues, COVID-19 survivors, frontline medical workers, young people, differently-abled people, women, workers in the unorganised sector, and the elderly. 
• India reported 1, 34, 516 suicides in 2018. (WHO).  Hence building and fostering resilience in individuals and communities is the way forward. 
• SPEAK2us  also helps callers build their resilience and rebuild their lives after an adverse event.