Frequent users of crisis helplines: Who are they and why do they continue to call?

Abstract

Crisis helplines were established in the 1950s to provide an immediate telephone response to anyone in an acute crisis. They now operate around the world, and Lifeline is recognised as one of Australia’s largest national crisis helpline services. A disproportionate number of calls to crisis helplines come from frequent users, who make multiple calls over an extended period of time. It has long been thought that frequent users are isolated individuals who call about non-crisis related issues; however, this assumption has never been investigated. Service providers struggle in knowing how to respond to frequent users while still addressing the needs of other callers. An evidence-based approach ..