Samaritans get calls every two minutes

CALLS to vital support group the Samaritans have reached record levels, with the group’s life-saving helpline receiving calls every two minutes this year.

New figures revealed in the charity’s annual report show a massive 400,357 people contacted its helpline in 2011 — a 9% increase on 2010 and more than double the boom-time figure of 200,000 in 2005.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Irish director Suzanne Costello said the rate was a clear sign of the deepening economic crisis, with one in every eight calls linked to the recession.

She added that the number of people reverse charging calls to the charity has also risen by 20% in just one year, resulting in a €25,000 expense.

According to the group’s annual report, of the record 400,357 calls between November 2010 and October 2011, a total of 266,445 were “dialogue” contacts lasting over 10 seconds; 135,000 callers remained silent or hung up before they could be helped.

The average number of calls received by the vital 24/7 service every day this year was 727, equalling one call every two minutes.

Calls peaked on Saturday May 14 when 988 people contacted the Samaritans.

In all, the charity’s 1,300 volunteers, who are based in 12 branches in the Republic and the North, gave 55,600 hours of support in 2011, up from 54,400 in 2010.

The Samaritans volunteer representative, Derry native Giovanni Doran, said in order to ensure volunteers are able to cope with the distress they hear, no one is allowed to work in a branch alone at night.

Mr Doran, who has been volunteering with the Samaritans since the late 1990s, said individual branches also have a senior volunteer available to listen to concerns of those taking calls and to allow them to express their difficulties.

Meanwhile, the charity also confirmed it is planning a multi-organisation suicide and mental health awareness group to focus services to those in most need.

Under the Connect plan, to be launched in January, the Samaritans is seeking all similar groups across the country to provide a pooled list of services — so callers who may benefit more from support from a different group can be informed of help available in their area.

lThe Samaritans helpline number is 1850-60-90-90. Further information is available at www.samaritans.ie lAll Samaritans volunteers undergo intensive training, including a 16-week training programme, and a six-month mentoring period once they have started to provide support

Cries for help

* The Samaritans received 400,357 calls to its helpline this year.

* The number of people asking for the cost of the call to be reversed was 20% higher than in 2010.

* 266,445 of the contacts were “dialogue calls”, meaning they lasted 10 seconds or more, up 9% on 2010.

*135,000 calls lasted less than 10 seconds or were silent, meaning the caller hung up before they could be helped.

* The average number of calls per day in 2011 was 727.

* The busiest day for the helpline was Saturday May 14, when 988 contacts were made

* One in eight calls were recession-related.

* The Samaritans’ 1,300 volunteers provided 55,600 hours worth of helpline support.

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