Samaritans volunteers in Ireland answered almost 1,000 calls a day last year as people continued to struggle with the impact of COVID and the lifting of restrictions.
The Samaritans Ireland Impact Report for 2021 showed that the mental health charity’s volunteers spent almost 70,000 hours on the phone giving support to callers.
The report also explained that a third of all calls lasted an average of 33 minutes, with mental health and illness, isolation and loneliness, relationship problems, and COVID being listed as the most common topics troubling callers. 19,000 calls came from prisoners in Irish prisons.
Samaritans is the only 24-hour emotional support helpline which covers the island of Ireland, with over 2,000 volunteers in 21 branches nationwide, including the Limerick and Tipperary branch based on Barington Street.
Executive Director for Samaritans Ireland Niall Mulligan said the pandemic had a profound effect on people’s emotional wellbeing and highlighted the importance of human connection.
“During the year, one in five calls for help to Samaritans was from someone worried about the impact of the pandemic, and over a third of callers felt isolated or lonely. Others faced new anxieties as restrictions were lifted,” he said.
The Limerick and Tipperary branch expressed their thanks to avid supporter Charlie Bird, as well the strong presence from politicians for attending the report launch event.
