Get support
Crisis lines by country, what happens when you call one, and how to find support that lasts longer than a phone call.
In an emergency
If someone is in immediate danger, or has already harmed themselves, call the emergency number. 112 works throughout the European Union, 999 in the UK and Ireland, 911 in the US. Stay with them until help arrives.
116 123: the European emotional support number
The number range beginning 116 is reserved at European Union level for services of social value, under a Commission decision of 2007. Within that range, 116 123 is reserved for emotional support helplines: services that offer a caller a genuine human relationship based on non-judgemental listening, for loneliness, psychological crisis, or thoughts of suicide.
Assignment is a decision for each country rather than for the European Commission, so 116 123 does not connect everywhere, and the picture changes over time. Where the number is in service it is free to call and reaches the national emotional support line. As at September 2026 it was confirmed in service in:
- Czechia, free, answered nonstop by the first psychological help line.
- Estonia, free, but staffed from 10:00 to 24:00 rather than around the clock.
- Hungary, free, 24 hours.
- Ireland and the United Kingdom, free, 24 hours, answered by Samaritans.
- Lithuania, free, 24 hours, answered by Vilties linija.
- Slovenia, free, 24 hours, answered by the Samarijan helpline.
In several other countries the number has been reserved but is not confirmed as answering, so it should not be relied on there as a first choice. If it does not connect, use the national number listed below.
Crisis lines by country
All of these answer in the national language unless stated otherwise, and all of them are for adults unless a separate young people's line is given. You can call about someone else as well as about yourself.
Austria
Belgium
- Flemish: Zelfmoordlijn 1813 on 1813, free and anonymous, 24 hours by telephone. Chat is open daily from 17:00, and from 12:00 on Wednesdays.
- French-speaking: Centre de Prévention du Suicide on 0800 32 123, free and anonymous, 24 hours.
Croatia
- Centre for Crisis Situations and Suicide Prevention, at the Zagreb University Hospital Centre, on 01 2376 470, 24 hours. Also takes walk-in visits.
Czechia
- Linka první psychické pomoci, the first psychological help line, on 116 123, free, nonstop. Calls are answered in Czech or Slovak. Chat runs on limited hours.
Denmark
- Livslinien on 70 201 201, every day from 09:00 to 05:00. It is not a 24-hour line. Chat is open weekday evenings and weekend afternoons.
Estonia
- Victim Support emotional support line, run by the Social Insurance Board, on 116 123, free, daily from 10:00 to 24:00. Answered in Estonian, Russian and English.
Finland
- MIELI Crisis Helpline on 09 2525 0111, 24 hours, in Finnish. The Swedish-language line is 09 2525 0112, with shorter hours.
France
- 3114, the national suicide prevention number, on 3114, free, 24 hours.
Germany
- Telefonseelsorge on 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222, free and anonymous, 24 hours.
- Children and young people on 0800 111 0 333.
Greece
- Klimaka Suicide Intervention Line on 1018, 24 hours. Charged at the local call rate rather than free. Klimaka also runs a day centre in Athens for people affected by suicide.
Hungary
- The Hungarian Crisis Helpline (LESZ) on 116 123, free from any domestic network, 24 hours.
Ireland
Italy
- Telefono Amico Italia on 02 2327 2327, free, by telephone and WhatsApp.
- Samaritans Onlus on 06 77208977, open daily from 13:00 to 22:00. This line is charged at your operator's normal rate.
Lithuania
- Vilties linija on 116 123, free from any network, 24 hours. Also by email and live chat.
Netherlands
Poland
- Centrum Wsparcia, the support centre for adults in psychological crisis, on 800 70 2222, free, 24 hours.
Portugal
- SOS Voz Amiga on 213 544 545 or 912 802 669, daily from 15:30 to 00:30. Charged at the normal national rate rather than free, and not a 24-hour line.
Romania
- TelVerde Antisuicid on 0800 801 200, free, staffed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from 19:00 to 07:00. Outside those hours, call 112.
Slovakia
- IPčko on 0800 500 333, free and anonymous, 24 hours. Also by chat and email, and it runs face-to-face counselling.
- Linka dôvery Nezábudka on 0800 800 566, free, 24 hours.
Slovenia
- Zaupni telefon Samarijan on 116 123, free, 24 hours. The same number also reaches Sopotnik, a companion service. Press 1 for Samarijan, 2 for Sopotnik.
- Klic v duševni stiski on 01 520 99 00, staffed every night from 19:00 to 07:00.
Spain
- Línea 024, the Ministry of Health suicide prevention line, on 024, free and confidential, 24 hours. Reached by telephone and online chat, with sign language video access.
Sweden
- Mind Självmordslinjen on 90101, free and anonymous, 24 hours, by telephone or chat.
United Kingdom
- Samaritans on 116 123, free, 24 hours, by telephone or email. You do not have to be suicidal to call.
United States
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, 24 hours, free and confidential.
- Veterans: dial 988 and press 1.
Countries not covered above
Two directories cover the rest of the world. Both are kept up to date by organisations whose purpose is to maintain them, and both record the languages each service answers in, which is the detail that matters most if you are calling from outside the country.
- Find a Helpline: verified helplines in more than 130 countries, searchable by country and by topic, including services offering text and chat as well as telephone.
- Befrienders Worldwide: an international network of emotional support centres, with contact details for services in around 40 countries.
Both are listed with their web addresses on Sources and organisations.
What happens when you call
People often delay calling because they do not know what it will be like. In practice it is closer to a conversation than to an assessment.
- Someone answers and says hello. There is no script you have to follow.
- You can start anywhere. “I do not really know why I am calling” is an entirely normal opening.
- Nothing happens without you. These services do not trace calls, contact your family, or send anyone to you. They will involve the emergency services only if you ask them to, or if they believe there is an immediate risk to life and no other way to keep you safe.
- You can hang up. You can also call back, as many times as you need to.
Finding support that lasts
A crisis line is somewhere to stand, not a treatment. If what you are dealing with is longer-running, the routes below tend to be more useful.
- Your doctor. A general practitioner or family doctor can refer you to talking therapies, psychiatry or a community mental health team, and can review whether medication might help. Writing down what you want to say beforehand makes the appointment easier.
- An urgent but non-emergency line. In the UK, NHS 111 option 2 covers urgent mental health advice where an ambulance is not needed. Most other European countries run an equivalent out-of-hours medical service, usually reachable through the national health service number.
- Walk-in crisis services and crisis cafes. Many areas run face-to-face alternatives to an emergency department. Your doctor's surgery or your local authority website will list what exists near you.
- Peer support groups. Often run by and for people with lived experience, and frequently easier to begin with than formal therapy.
If you are supporting someone else, the piece on warning signs and what to say to someone who is struggling are the two most useful places to start.