For example, it appears that immediately after a conversation, callers feel less in crisis and less hopeless. The degree of hopelessness and suicidal intention (the degree to which the caller indicates that he/she wishes to attempt suicide at that moment) also decreased. It is also positive that the callers experience more social support.
“It was not an obvious study to conduct since the anonymity and especially safety of the callers was the highest priority,” says Professor Gwendolyn Portzky, director of the VLESP. “But we have long been convinced of the great importance of the Suicide Line for those who need a crisis conversation and the high quality they offer in the conversations. We are therefore pleased that we can now scientifically demonstrate the effectiveness of these discussions. These are important research results for Flanders as well as internationally, as they show that a helpline such as the Suicide Line is an effective and safe evidence-based method for the prevention of suicide.”
If you have questions about suicide, you can contact the Suicide Line on the toll-free number 1813 and www.zelfmoord1813.be.
