Inaugurated in 1997 in Coimbra, the emotional support and suicide prevention line was created by university students who felt isolated, but it quickly expanded its reach to anyone needing emotional support.

Speaking to Lusa on World Mental Health Day, regarding expert warnings about the increase in self-harm among young people, the line's president explained that the majority of calls (52%) are made by adults (36-64 years old) and seniors (17%).

"Only then come young adults, students, and very few teenagers," commented Rita Neves, a volunteer at the service since 2021.

Regarding whether there's an explanation for this, the person in charge said it's not due to a lack of awareness of the line, which is "very popular" in colleges and schools, but rather because students aren't "as open to asking for help or calling support lines."

According to the person in charge, the line saw "an exponential increase" in the 2024-2025 academic year, more than 100%, totalling 1,799 calls. This indicates that "people are increasingly needing to talk, or that the line is reaching an increasingly larger audience."

Despite being an emotional support and suicide prevention line, the majority of calls are not related to suicide, but rather to romantic relationships, family, friendships, and loneliness.

SOS Estudante (915246060; 969554545; 239484020) also receives many silent calls from people who are unable to express themselves. However, she emphasized that just knowing there's someone on the other end calms them down and encourages them to try calling again.

"There are also many people who call just to talk about their day," often being the first time they've spoken to someone that day.

"We believe that loneliness is present in practically every call," commented Rita Neves.

Primary support

Rita Neves explained that the helplines offer primary support. "In our case, we operate between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m., and there are usually no psychologists available."

"It's primary support for someone in crisis or who really needs to talk at that moment, but it will never replace psychological support," she added.

The line currently has 33 volunteers, all students from different areas of higher education in Coimbra, who underwent "a long recruitment process" and "30 hours of training that qualify them to answer all types of calls."

"We are all volunteers; we receive nothing in return other than the gratification of knowing we're making a difference," said the president, who stopped answering calls after taking the position, for reasons of anonymity.

Recalling her time working in the service, Rita Neves said that "the hardest part" is being able to distance herself and realize that the help they can provide "is quite limited," but she emphasized, volunteers receive professional psychological support whenever they need it.

"We're talking on the phone, and while we strongly believe in the power of active listening, the truth is that it's not always within our power to save someone's life," she acknowledged, venting: "There are calls we never forget."

On this day, Rita wanted to convey the message that "asking for help is an act of courage" and that "being aware of those around us can save lives."