Samaritans sees rise in calls amid credit crunch

Samaritans has reported a 25 per cent leap in the number of calls to its helpline in August and September compared to the same time period last year.

The emotional support charity, founded by the late Christian Dr Chad Varah, has attributes the rise in calls to the increased pressure many individuals are feeling in the midst of the ongoing credit crunch.

Now the charity is urging anyone worried about job security or in financial distress to call in and talk about the concerns they may not feel able to share with family, friends or employers.

Shaun Kelly, Outreach and Communications Co-coordinator at Samaritans' central London branch, said: "Samaritans regularly receives calls from people worried about financial issues and debt and recently we have been speaking to individuals concerned about the credit crunch and the latest fears of recession.

"Debt is known to contribute to emotional distress and sometimes people in financial difficulty can consider suicide as a way out of the situation that they are in.

"It is really important for people to talk to somebody about how they are feeling rather than keeping worries to themselves, in order to find a positive way forward."

Samaritans was launched by the late Dr Chad Varah in the crypt of St Stephen Walbrook Church, in the city of London, in 1953.

Samaritans has call centres across the country with trained counsellors on hand to take calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

On the web: www.samaritans.org