Samaritans reports 6% rise in caller numbers

More people in the Republic of Ireland are becoming overwhelmed by despair because of the recession.

The Samaritans has launched an impact report, which shows a 6% rise in the number of callers to its helpline in the past year.

Spokesperson Suzanne Costello said the increase in those seeking help is a cause for concern, but it is good people are using the service.

From October 2009 to November 2010, Samaritans recorded 243,000 calls in the Republic of Ireland. This represented an increase of 13,000 calls on the previous 12-month period.

One of the most striking trends for the organisation in the past year was an increase in the intensity of calls received.

The level of distress and anxiety being expressed by callers was more intense than in previous years.

Suzanne Costello said: “Many of our callers were experiencing relationship difficulties, which were exacerbated by financial difficulties. Fear of unemployment, self-harm and anxiety about the future were also common reasons for calls to Samaritans over the past 12 months.”

Samaritans – across the UK and Ireland – has noted a general increase in calls about financial stresses, with an average of one in every eight calls relating to this issue in 2010. This compared with one in every 10 calls resulting from financial stresses in 2009.

The average number of calls received each day by Samaritans Ireland’s helpline was 669. The organisation received the greatest number of calls on Saturdays, with Wednesdays being the quietest day of the week. The busiest day for calls was a Saturday in mid-August, when the Samaritans dealt with 1,057 calls.