The new support line is staffed by licensed psychologists, nurses, and curators. The line is open 24/7 every day of the week and offers support via both phone and web. The staff consists of 15 people who will work in shifts.
Those who turn to the line can remain anonymous, and the line is also open to relatives.
High Pressure
According to Forssmed, many have tried to contact the support line even before it opened.
This shows that there is a need for a complement to healthcare and existing support lines. With a capacity to help people who find themselves in very dark situations where they sometimes do not see any hope for the future, but where a conversation can make a difference.
It was in the spring that the Public Health Agency was tasked by the government to find a suitable actor to run the support line. The choice fell on Region Stockholm.
They have good experience of how to build a good capacity since they also have experience of other support lines, says Forssmed.
A previous helpline, financed by the regions, was shut down in 2019.
To Become Permanent
The government is now allocating 22 million kronor to the support and intends for the initiative to become permanent.
Our plan is for this line to be operated long-term, says Forssmed.
The initiative also includes an additional 30 million kronor to organizations within civil society that work to promote mental health and suicide prevention.
The previous Social Democratic government tasked the Public Health Agency in 2021 to investigate the need for a support line. The agency then found that the existing helplines, run on an idealistic basis, only managed to answer one-third of the incoming calls.
