The State Government is pledging $8.2 million over five years to expand the helpline’s mental health crisis services as cost-of-living pressures intensify.
NSW Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson said the national service, which provided people in crisis with a listening ear and assistance from trained volunteers, received 360,000 NSW calls in 2022, up from 300,000 in 2019. Lifeline’s Jessica Marshall said there was definitely a huge upswing in the number of younger people preferring to text than speak on the phone.
“It can be more challenging admitting how you’re feeling in a phone call, texting can be a lot more comfortable and it can be done at any time – in the company of others or at work for example,” she said.
“We all text now, texting has found its place in the world and crisis support organisations, such as Lifeline, have to evolve their services to meet that demand so we can help more people both young and old.”
Assisting callers across all age groups, Jessica said a common theme was how the financial struggle was impacting on mental health.
“There’s also a range of multicultural issues in Canterbury Bankstown so we put callers in touch with language and culturally sensitives local support services,” she said.
As well as providing training for counsellor training, it costs $38 to answer a call and even with government assistance, Lifeline is always in need of community support.
Residents are invited to check out Lifeline’s Outreach Van when it visits Bankstown Central for the Community Safety Expo on October 7.
To make a donation or to get help: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au. To text for support: 0477 13 11 14.
