Calls to distress helpline rise

A counselling helpline set up as part of a Northern Ireland suicide prevention strategy has received more than 7,000 calls in one month.

Staff at the Lifeline service told Assembly members, in a briefing, that many of those in need were "actively self-harming and suicidal".

In August, counsellors took 7,877 calls. More than 30,000 calls have been received since its launch in February.

The service is run by Contact Youth, and funded by the Department of Health.

"Large numbers of people are in crisis, isolation and despair and are seeking support," said Norma Patterson of Contact Youth.

"We know that this service is making a difference by providing people with support when the burden becomes too much for them alone."

According to figures from the Department of Health, 242 people in Northern Ireland took their own lives last year, compared to 291 in 2006.

On average, there are 4,500 hospital admissions each year as a result of self-harming.