Every 10 seconds, Samaritans responds to a call for help.

24th July (24/7) marks Samaritans Awareness Day, because the charity is here to listen 24/7. Throughout July, Samaritans will be running an awareness-raising campaign ‘Talk to Us’, to remind people that they’re available for anyone who needs someone to listen. 

To raise awareness, we’re showcasing digital magazine issues from four of Exact Editions’ publishing partners that contain articles about the vital role the Samaritans play in suicide prevention.

Prospect Magazine ‘A Cry for Real Help’ (November 2012)

Anna Bundy reports that hospitals are wrong to treat suicide attempts as a medical emergency.

In Britain, suicide is dealt with as a medical emergency. This means those who feel they are an immediate risk to themselves — if they check into a hospital’s accident and emergency department (A&E) — will be treated swiftly and often effectively. But the aim is short term: to stop the patient from committing suicide on that particular day.

Read the full article, pages 54–55, here.

The Lady ‘Why are so Many Men Driven to Suicide’ ( 3 March 2017)

Men account for three-quarters of all UK suicides, Robert Todd attempts to uncover the reasons behind an ongoing tragedy.

Men face societal pressures leading back to old stereotypes that say they should be strong, silent and invulnerable.

Read the full article, pages 30–31, here.

Independent Nurse ‘During the Pandemic, Nurses, Midwives and NHS Staff Need Support’ (July 2020)

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Samaritans launched a new wellbeing support line for health and social care workers. A volunteer for the Samaritans NHS helpline writes about her experience.

…I’ve been volunteering on the NHS and Social Care helpline during the pandemic and it has been so rewarding to help those on the frontline of this crisis I have answered a lot of calls from those feeling anxious some sharing that the pandemic has brought on former anxieties and mental health issues and other people who would never have dreamt of contacting Samaritans before coronavirus.

Read the full article, page 8, here.

Literary Review ‘Being Stolen From’ by William Trevor (May 1981)

William Trevor (1928–2016), was an Irish novelist, playwright, and short story writer. The Samaritans play a vital role in the life of Norma, a character in the short story ‘Being Stolen From’ (1981).

She went to the Samaritans because she was suicidal. There was ·nothing left of the poor thing, Mrs Lacy. She was hardly a human person… The Samaritans gave Norma back her humanity and then the council housed her. 

Read the short story, pages 43–48, here.

Access to the digital magazine issues included in this post will be active until the 24th September 2022.

Fully-searchable digital subscriptions to Prospect Magazine, The Lady, Independent Nurse, and Literary Review are all available in the Exact Editions individual and institutional shops.

As the cost of living crisis is leaving people struggling to cope, the charity is asking people to donate what they can, you can do so here.

Whatever you’re going through a Samaritan is here to help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Please call 116 123 for free.