The number of people contacting the Samaritans over financial worries doubled in six months as the effects of the recession hit householders, it was revealed today.
Last summer one in 20 contacts to the charity’s helplines was about money matters but by December that figure had jumped to one in ten.
Suzanne Costello, Samaritans Ireland director, warned of a further increase as more families become affected by the downturn.
The charity is launching a nationwide radio campaign this week to remind people worried about their finances not to suffer in silence.
“Yes, we are anticipating an increase in calls,” Ms Costello said.
“This recession is going to affect a different type of person, a wider range, so we want to make sure that people who would never have considered ringing a helpline before...are aware of the supports that exists.”
According to preliminary figures compiled late last month, almost half - 41 per cent - of the contacts about money were from people worried about their jobs.
Another 32 per cent were concerned about their homes and a quarter about debt.
Ms Costello said she had never seen such a surge in calls so quickly.
“I haven’t (seen this before). But I was aware of the fact that in September the central London branch of the Samaritans, when this financial crisis first broke, there was a 25 per cent jump in calls to their service almost immediately,” she said.
“At the time we didn’t register such a sharp jump, but they did. It was an early warning system for us.”
A national radio campaign will be run by the charity this week highlighting the helpline number and availability of the Samaritans.
Details of the 24-hour telephone and email helplines and website information will be broadcast.
Meanwhile the Samaritans north and south dealt with a staggering 974 calls on Christmas Day from people over a range of problems - 694 in the Republic and 280 in Northern Ireland.
While high, the charity said the figure is around the same every year as people troubled by the emotional significance of the holiday look for help.
Ms Costello added: “People think Christmas is one day were people are pretty okay, but (it) puts huge emotional pressure on people.
“They have to live up to such an enormous standard, this fairy tale idea of a Christmas that nobody has. But everyone else thinks everyone else is having them.”
She said people ring over a range of topics, including loneliness, distress caused by rows, bereavement or the loss or ending of a relationship.