A HSE evaluation of a helpline set up to assist people in rural communities in Cork and Kerry has found that the majority of users are male, single and living alone with a substantial number of callers citing depresssion and suicidal thoughts as their main problem.
The HSE South's Farm Rural Stress Helpline was established in 2004 on foot of collaboration between the then Southern Health Board (now HSE South), Ballyhoura Development and Teagasc and was targeted at farmers and people living in rural areas.
Now the HSE has published the results of an audit of the confidential helpline carried out between February 2006 and February 2007 when 325 calls were made to the helpline which operates daily from 6pm to 10pm and is staffed by professionals.
The evaluation of the helpline, the first of its kind in the Republic, found that 55 per cent of callers to the helpline were male and 62 per cent of callers were single with 50 per cent of callers revealing that they were living alone.
The evaluation also found that some 41 per cent of callers cited depression and suicidal thoughts as their major health problems while 40 per cent of callers revealed they had previously received treatment for depression.
Some 43 per cent of callers cited loneliness or no support as reasons for calling the helpline while about half of callers sought further support from the helpline which was officially launched at the Community Centre, Leabamalogga, Mitchelstown, Co Cork in 2004.
Local health manager with the HSE South, Dave Drohan, said raising awareness of the helpline in the rural communities of Cork and Kerry had been a priority for the agency and the evaluation showed the helpline was helping to meet the needs of those who required the service.
"Today's report is important as it draws attention to the service and informs people about the kind of confidential, help, advice and support that is available for people. Very often, a lack of awareness of what services are available can be a real barrier to someone seeking help."
Mr Drohan said the evaluation of the activities of the helpline identified that the main issues discussed were mostly about loneliness or depression as well as relationship problems, abuse and family problems.
• The Farm Rural Stress Helpline can be contacted on 1800 742645