National suicide prevention hotline to be launched in Spain

The Ministry of Health is set to launch a new suicide prevention hotline (024) in Spain within the next few months.
The Ministry of Health will soon launch the toll-free hotline 024, which will provide help and support to anyone at risk of suicide. The line will operate nationwide and is anonymous, accessible and confidential. It was set up on December 20 last year and will become available in May, according to information published in Thursday’s Official State Gazette.
In 2020, around 3,941 people decided to end their lives, making it the year with the highest number of suicides in Spain since 1906. The launch of the new suicide prevention hotline is part of the Ministry of Health’s 2021-2024 Action Plan for Mental Health and COVID, which aims to centralise support for people who are at risk of suicide and to provide them with information so that they can access specialised help.
The government has stated that the service will be available “three months after the publication of this announcement”, which means that it will start operating before May 10. The 024 hotline will be operated by professionals from a range of different disciplines as well as experts in people with suicidal tendencies.
The 024 hotline will be free of charge, available to all citizens and implemented on a permanent basis. The needs of users with hearing or speech disabilities will also be considered so that they can also receive the service they need.
________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.