JAIPUR: The mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) helpline for children, Ummeed, launched in January this year has been getting at least 40 calls a day from across the state since August to report issues such as anxiety, phone addiction and abuse.
Parents have been raising concerns related to the change in behaviour of their children due to the Covid-induced disruptions to their daily routines. Queries range from phone addiction, concentration to anxiety. The state child rights commission will also launch a mental health awareness campaign from next month.
Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Right (RSCPCR) chairperson Sangeeta Beniwal said, "We have been getting reports about all sorts of issues being faced by children which includes addiction to mobile phones, anxiety, labour and even assault. Due to the lockdown, we could not organise a campaign, but now as things are normalising, we will conduct programmes at the grassroot-level."
"The aim is to take the awareness campaign to parents and children who do not have access to digital media," she said. From January 19 to September 30, the helpline launched by the RSCPCR in collaboration with nongovernmental organisations, including Save The Children, has received more than 2,944 calls.
