55,000 get aid through Lifeline
More than 55,000 West Australians called Lifeline's crisis support line last year in a sign people feel less embarrassed seeking help.
The annual Report to the People to be released by Lifeline WA today reveals 55,548 calls to the national phone line in 2013-14 came from WA, while another 9000 people sought help from other Lifeline services such as group counselling.
Lifeline WA chief executive Fiona Kalaf said the increasing number of calls in the last financial year suggested more people felt comfortable in seeking help.
The release of this year's report was timely, with the date mirroring the service's phone support line 13 11 14, and its focus was on the community's changing perception towards mental health.
Calls to Lifeline across Australia rose 30 per cent.
"Nationally in the last 12 months, Lifeline responded to over 700,000 calls, which means we've gone from being contacted by someone, somewhere in Australia every 50 seconds to one contact every 37 seconds," Ms Kalaf said.
"It's quite a significant increase and reflects a wider change in community attitudes towards mental health issues and shows that more people are feeling confident to take that all-important first step to pick up the phone and seek help.
"One thing we know is that the more we talk about issues concerning mental health, the more it helps to break down barriers and stigmas that have been prevalent in the past."
The report also highlights the growing demand for online crisis support. In its first full financial year of operation, the Lifeline Online Crisis Chat service expanded its overnight service from once a week to seven nights a week.
"Since we launched the chat service in December 2012, we've experienced a rapid rise in people seeking help online, especially in the middle of the night," Ms Kalaf said.
"We now have five operators as part of the online chat service between midnight and 4.30am, every night of the week."
She said it was important more was done to encourage people to seek help and there was still a long way to go to remove the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
