Urgent Help
Mental HealthEmergency
Support is Available
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency, you can get expert advice and assessment via the range of sources below.
Call 999 or visit A&E now if:
Your life, or someone else’s, is at risk, or if you feel unable to keep yourself or another person safe. A mental health emergency is just as serious as a physical one – you are never wasting anyone’s time by seeking urgent help. You will be taken seriously, and your situation will be treated with respect and confidentiality.
If there is a crisis, but no one is at imminent risk of harm and can keep themselves safe
Call 111
In the UK, get help from 111 online, call 111 from your phone and ask for the mental health option 2 or ask for an urgent GP appointment.
NHS Mental Health Services
Mental health services are free on the NHS in the UK. Your mental health is important and you should get help if you need it.
NHS Talking Therapies
UK residents can use this service to find NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression, which you can access through self-referral.
Helplines and websites
The services below offer confidential support from trained volunteers. You can talk about anything that’s troubling you, no matter how difficult. These services will only share your information if they are very worried about you or think you are in immediate danger.
Samaritans
You can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year: Call 116 123 (free from any phone). Call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day) Email jo@samaritans.org (email responses may take several days)
SANEline Services
SANEline is a national out-of-hours mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness. You can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10pm every day).
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK
Offers a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 587 0800 (6pm to midnight every day). If you’re unable to connect to the main number, you can call 0800 689 0880.
Mind
Call Mind’s support line on 0300 102 1234. This is a safe space for you to talk about your mental health. Our advisors are trained to listen to you and help you find specialist support if you need it. They are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except bank holidays).
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you’re affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts. Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service.
SHOUT
If you would prefer not to talk but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258. Shout offers a confidential 24/7 text service providing support if you are in crisis and need immediate help.
Papyrus HOPELINEUK
If you’re under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings or are concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141 (24 hours, 7 days a week), email pat@papyrus-uk.org or text 07786 209 697.
Switchboard
If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email chris@switchboard.lgbt or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBT+.
C.A.L.L Mental Health Healpline for Wales
If you live in Wales, you can call the Community Advice and Listening Line (C.A.L.L.) on 0800 132 737 (open 24/7) or email call@helpline.wales.
Helplines Partnership
For more options, visit the Helplines Partnership website for a directory of UK helplines. If you’re outside the UK, the Befrienders Worldwide website has a tool to search by country for emotional support helplines around the world.
