Surge in pleas for help across Bay | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

The festive season has seen a surge in calls to a helpline offering a listening ear to stressed and lonely people.

Support services in the Bay are fielding more calls for help  with Lifelink Samaritans receiving more than 35 calls on Christmas Day.

The  service takes calls from all over the Bay of Plenty from people needing  help or someone to talk to.

Greg Halse of Lifelink Samaritans said  figures indicated there were 35 calls on Christmas Day but the total number of calls received by all counsellors was yet to be tallied.

Mr Halse said most of the Christmas Day calls revolved around relationship, loneliness and depression issues.

"We haven't had all our counsellors ring in to log what they got within those other calls but I would expect them to be very much of the same issues," he said.

The national helpline, Youthline, has also been busy and noted a 70 per cent increase in the number of callers this Christmas compared to the same time last year.

Youthline received  1437  calls during the two weeks up to 29 December. 

The comparable figure for 2008 was 858.

During the same two weeks this year, Youthline also received 6352 text messages from young people, which was an increase of more than 50 per cent on last year's figure of 4102.

Youthline's CEO, Stephen Bell said it was often hard for young people to overcome the embarrassment and perceived stigma involved in contacting a helpline. The increasing number of calls was encouraging because it showed that   many  had been prepared to reach out for help rather than "trying to soldier on unaided".

Mr Bell said that, although this year's total of Christmas time telephone calls and text messages had risen significantly compared to last year, a large volume of calls was to be expected in the festive season.

"It can be a difficult time of year for young people, with additional expectations placed on them by anxieties over the looming new educational year, including, for many, leaving home for the first time." 

 Lifelink Samaritans and Youthline are operating over the New Year and  through 2010.