'Pressured world' linked to helpline call rise

A helpline run by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

"A pressured world" could be one of the reasons a mental health helpline received more than 2,000 extra calls last year, an expert said.

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said its helpline received 34,350 calls between January and December 2024 – an average of 2,863 a month. That was up from 32,231 calls in 2023, an increase of around 177 calls per month.

The figures were released on World Mental Health Day, which aims to raise awareness and improve understanding globally.

Allen Ruddock, deputy director of Guildford Samaritans, said a range of influences mean the service has "never ceased to be busier", with calls coming from across the UK.

The trust said the introduction of easier access through NHS 111 and increased publicity has led to a significant rise in calls.

Mr Ruddock attributed the increase to a range of influences, adding: "I think today's world is a very pressured world.

"Younger people have a lot of social media type pressures, a lot of work pressures - trying to find jobs - then there's the cost of living crisis.

"It makes people feel much more anxious, preys on their mind, preys on their mental health."

Earlier this year, the charity said nearly 160,000 calls in 2024 related to concerns about finance or unemployment.

It was the third consecutive year the number of calls had risen.

Mr Ruddock, who has volunteered for seven years, said local people are not immune from these pressures.

"While Surrey is seen as an affluent county, there are pockets of deprivation, pockets of areas where people are struggling with their mental health," he said.

Alongside the helpline, the trust also runs five Safe Haven drop-in centres – in Epsom, Guildford, Redhill, Woking and Aldershot – for adults struggling with their mental health.

Chief medical officer Dr Emma Whicher said these services are here to offer everyone "compassionate, expert care when it is needed".

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