24-hour helpline for suicide prevention and psychological support
Portugal’s government has announced the creation of a free telephone helpline for suicide prevention and psychological support, due to start in January 2025, with more than 100 psychologists on tap and a round-the-clock service.
The announcement was made by secretary of state for health, Ana Povo to mark World Suicide Prevention Day today.
A working group was set up for this purpose at the end of July whcih is carrying out scientific and operational work with the aim of creating the suicide prevention line – regulations for which should be completed by the end of the year, she said.
According to Povo, the working group will have members from the national coordination of mental health policies, the secretariat of state for health, the secretariat of state for health management and the Ministry of Health’s Shared Service (SPMS).
“We are currently developing the algorithms and technical specifications for the line,” she said, adding that it would work with 110 psychologists who are currently working at the SPMS, supporting the existing SNS24 national health phone line (808 24 24 24).
The psychologists will be specially trained to staff the line, which is to have a different number to the SNS24 one, with only four digits, said Povo.
“This line we are creating, which comes from the development of a law unanimously approved earlier this year in Parliament, will operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year,” she stressed.
Povo explained that there are already several social and voluntary psychological helplines in Portugal, but none operates 24-hours a day.
As provided for by law, before the line is launched there will be a campaign to publicise the service, in which the four-digit number will be announced.
The secretary of state also said that “the need to create this line arose from the problem of suicide in Portugal.
“Suicide is now one of the main causes of death in the population under the age of 70 and, if we look at the younger population, it’s even more of a cause of death,” she said. “This is a concern.
“It is a concern that this government is taking into account in the mental health policies it is carrying out. The creation of the line is a way of preventing and reducing the incidence” of suicide in Portugal.”
On World Suicide Prevention Day, Povo issued a general appeal to help combat this problem.
“The message is for us all to be vigilant and tolerant of everyone around us and, if we notice anything different, to try to help”, she said. “And if you’re going through a lot of psychological suffering, say that you need to ask for help. It is not a sign of weakness”.
Povo also stressed that, until the ‘SOS suicide line’ is set up, people can call the SNS24 line, which has psychologists available.
The Portuguese Psychologists’ Association (OPP) warned on Monday that although the prevalence of suicide is estimated to have been slowly decreasing in recent years in Portugal, “the number of deaths by suicide is still higher than in any other country in the south of the European Union.”
According to data from Portugal’s National Institute of Statistics (INE), in 2021 there were 8.9 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants – an incidence of around three suicides a day.
“Suicidal behaviour occurs not only in the adult population, but also in children and adolescents, with suicide being one of the main causes of death among Portuguese young people,” the OPP stressed.
Current suicide support and prevention contacts:
SNS 24 – 808242424
SOS Voz Amiga – 213544545, 912802669, 963524660 (working 48-hours straight to mark World Suicide Prevention Day)
Conversa Amiga – 808237327, 210027159
SOS Student – 915246060, 969554545, 239484020
LUSA
