A call is answered every 49 seconds by the mental health charity, who saw a major increase over the lockdown period.
The charity is marking its national awareness day and 50th anniversary today, on the 24th day of the seventh month of the year, to highlight the fact that Samaritans volunteers are there to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Volunteer director Anne Vaughan says the pandemic has been difficult:
“There’s been an increase in calls to the line... I think just the current situation has, I suppose if you’re anxious, it makes you more anxious, if you’re maybe feeling isolated, maybe you feel more isolated, so it certainly has an effect.”
Volunteer Brian Higgins outlines some of the reasons why people got in touch:
“There was an increase in anxiety and loneliness, they were two of the big things that people had fears and worries about. Anxieties about the uncertainty of the pandemic, what’s happening right now and what’s going to happen in the future, how it’s affecting people’s lives.”
A specially commissioned Dublin Bus is carrying the Samaritans helpline number to mark the event.
To contact the Samaritans at any time of the day or night you can call 116 123 for free.
