Researchers appeal for Samaritans study

PA 170/08 Mental health researchers at The University of Nottingham are appealing for people who have contacted Samaritans to come forward to take part in a new study. They have been commissioned by the charity, which offers round-the-clock emotional support to people in distress or despair including those who may be at risk of suicide, to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of Samaritans' three main services - its 24-hour confidential helpline, e-mail and SMS text message support systems. The results of the two-year research project will greatly help Samaritans to understand more about how and why callers contact them and the impact of this. The research will inform the development of their services to enable them to provide more effective emotional support. It will also inform public perceptions about the organisation and contribute to best practice in this field. The study is being led by Dr Martin Anderson, Associate Professor for the University's School of Nursing. He said: "Samaritans has supported people in distress for over 50 years via its telephone helpline and more recently its email and text services.