Alex Trelinski
A new national suicide prevention hotline took almost 15,000 calls in its first month of operation in Spain.
The government said the ‘024’ hotline attracted an average of 400 calls day since launching on May 10.
650 callers were redirected to emergency services who identified 290 cases of people they saved from taking their life.
Associations, groups, and political parties called for the creation of the service, prompted by increasing mental health concerns during the Covid pandemic lockdowns.
Figures showed that attempted suicides grew by 30% during the pandemic.
The new hotline service is free and totally confidential.
The average duration of the calls is between 14 and 20 minutes- but as much time as is needed is taken with callers who are at imminent risk of taking their life.
Younger people and children are seen as especially vulnerable.
The Foundation for Helping Boys, Girls, and Adolescents at Risk said earlier this year that calls to its number had risen 20-fold in the last decade, with self-harming callers 56 times higher over ten years.
READ MORE:
- Spain launches nationwide suicide prevention hotline as mental health worries surge
- Suicidal and self-harm helpline calls from young people in Spain dramatically rise during COVID-19 pandemic
