Suicide helpline gets 18,000 calls in six months

IRELAND’S first 24-hour national suicide helpline manned by specialist counsellors and psychotherapists has received more than 18,000 calls in just six months.

The 1Life support service was set up by Turning The Tide of Suicide (3Ts) and bereavement group Console in late October due to the growing risk of suicide in Ireland.

The helpline – which is the only service of its kind staffed entirely by medically qualified experts in suicide prevention – receives no funding from the state, despite repeated requests.