Kerala · free and low-cost
Free and low-cost mental health support in Kerala
Kerala has more free mental health provision than most Indian states, and most people do not know what exists or which door to knock on. This is what is available, what each service is actually for, and how to reach it.
In immediate danger right now? Call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Our crisis page lists lines that answer at any hour.
Helplines that answer 24/7, free, in Malayalam
Both of these are government-run, both answer around the clock, and neither costs anything to call.
DISHA (Kerala)
1056Kerala's own 24/7 health helpline, run by Arogyakeralam under the National Health Mission. Counselling and guidance on mental and physical health, in Malayalam.
Anyone in Kerala or Lakshadweep. Free, including from a mobile.
Also reachable on a landline number if the short code does not connect from your network.
Tele-MANAS
1800-89-14416The Government of India's national tele mental health service. Trained counsellors first, with referral on to psychiatrists and clinical psychologists where needed.
Anyone in India. Free, 24/7, and available in Malayalam as well as English.
The short code 14416 reaches the same service.
Where else to go, and what each one is for
Government medical colleges and district hospitals
Every district in Kerala has government psychiatry provision, and treatment there is free or close to it. This is the route for anything needing medication, an assessment, or ongoing psychiatric care rather than counselling alone. Waiting times vary a great deal by district, so it is worth calling ahead to ask which day the outpatient clinic runs.
District Mental Health Programme clinics
The District Mental Health Programme runs clinics that bring psychiatric care closer to taluk and community health centres rather than concentrating it in the district capital. What is offered and where varies between districts, so the district hospital or DISHA is the reliable way to find out what runs near you.
District Early Intervention Centres
For children, DEIC services under the National Health Mission cover developmental assessment and early intervention. This is the free route to a psychological assessment for a child, including the intelligence and developmental tests schools sometimes ask for.
College and university counselling
If you are studying, your institution may have a counsellor, and many Kerala campuses do. It costs nothing and it does not go on any medical record. If you are worried about privacy on a small campus, DISHA and Tele-MANAS are both anonymous alternatives.
Workplace employee assistance programmes
Many larger employers, and most IT companies in Technopark, Infopark and Cyberpark, buy an EAP that includes a set number of free counselling sessions. HR can tell you whether one exists. Sessions are delivered by an outside provider, and what your employer sees is normally only that the service was used, not by whom or about what.
Choosing between free and paid
Free care in Kerala is real and it is often good, particularly for anything needing psychiatric treatment. What you give up is waiting time, continuity, and the ability to choose who you see or when. Paid therapy buys those three things and nothing else. It does not buy better clinicians, and it is not a sign that you are taking it more seriously.
If cost is the reason you have not started, start with a free helpline this week rather than waiting until you can afford something. The gap between doing nothing and talking to someone is far wider than the gap between a free service and a paid one.
Common questions
In government facilities, yes or close to it. Consultations at government medical colleges, district hospitals and District Mental Health Programme clinics are free or carry a nominal fee, and the state helplines cost nothing to call. What you trade for that is waiting time and less choice of who you see.
Yes. Both DISHA and Tele-MANAS answer in Malayalam, at any hour, at no cost. You do not have to explain yourself in English.
These are confidential services and you can generally call without identifying yourself. If it matters to you, ask about their confidentiality policy at the start of the call, before you say anything else. You are entitled to ask.
A helpline is there for right now: someone trained to talk with you, help you think, and point you onward. Therapy is an ongoing relationship with one professional over weeks or months, working on something specific. Many people use a helpline first and start therapy later, and that order works well.
Generally no. You can present at the outpatient department directly. Calling ahead to check which day the clinic runs will save you a wasted trip.
Use the free helplines in the meantime rather than waiting in silence. They are staffed by trained counsellors, not a queue system, and they are the same phone call whether you are in crisis or simply not coping.
If you would rather see the same psychologist each week and pick your own time, that is what we do, in Malayalam or English. See who is available, or read what therapy costs in India before deciding. If a free service fits you better, use it. That is what it is there for.