Demand for help from Samaritans hits all-time high

The Samaritans is seeking to expand its services after figures showed it was contacted more than 500,000 times in the past year, with one in five calls from people feeling suicidal.

The extent of family pressures, financial hardship, and mental health concerns from around the country were starkly illustrated by the Samaritans’ 2013-14 Impact Report, which revealed:

- More than 478,200 calls were made to the helpline;