Kottayam: The Malankara Orthodox Church, based in Kerala, has launched a program to help those on the verge of emotional breakdown. Kerala has been topping suicide cases in India for the past several years.

The Emotional Support Program (ESP) started by the Orthodox Medical Forum tackles stress and related problems through a three-pronged strategy. It has set up an emotional support helpline and devised a suicide prevention program. It also encourages fellowship with members of families that have suffered suicide cases.

The 24-hour Telephone Helpline aims to console and empower people under emotional breakdown and loneliness, Dr Siby Tharakan, ESP program director, told Matters India.

Trained volunteers will handle calls coming to the helpline center. The callers will not be asked to divulge their name and address and what they share would be kept strictly confidential, Tharakan said.

Students, youth and seniors citizens, irrespective of their age, caste or religion, can be the beneficiaries of the helpline, he added.

The medical forum works under the Church’s Ministry of Human Empowerment (MOHE).

The office of the Helpline shall be Kuriakose Mar Gregorios Centre, in Kottayam, a major Christian center in Kerala.

Tharakan also said the help line’s focus is the enrichment of family life. It will organize various awareness and training programs and take up and continue various projects introduced by MOHE. It will also organize various training and awareness programs for suicide prevention.

The helpline has plans to organize programs to console and embolden families that have witnessed suicide or unnatural death. The program plans to conduct get together of such families, emotional sharing, counseling, retreats.

Bishop Dr Thomas Mar Athanasius heads MOHE which will have direct control over the helpline.

The first phase of training for the volunteers of the Helpline was conducted at Mar Elia Cathedral,Kottayam on March 21.

K M George, director, Sopanam Orthodox Academy, opened the program.

The center could be contacted at hrm@malankaraorthodoxchurch.in