Samaritans received a call every 64 seconds last year

In 2021, some of the primary concerns of calls related to mental health or illness, family, isolation, relationship problems, and Covid.

Samaritans has said it is "needed more than ever" after its latest impact report showed it fielded a call for help every 64 seconds last year, with a fifth of calls relating to fears over the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Samaritans Impact Report for 2021 showed the charity answered 1,300 calls for help a day. In total it dealt with almost 471,000 phone calls — of which 115,000 were in the North — and 18,645 emails, with one-in-five calls linked to fears over Covid-19.