Law published that creates suicide and self-harm prevention line

The creation of a free national hotline, open 24 hours a day, to prevent suicide and self-harm, coordinated and staffed by mental health professionals, was published this Monday in the Diário da República.

The service, called the “national line”, must have its own number, consisting of a maximum of four digits, dedicated solely to the prevention of suicide and self-harm.

By law, the line must work together with the Psychological Consultation Service on the SNS 24 telephone line and serve the entire country.

It must provide advice through voice and other communication platforms, including messages and work using Portuguese sign language interpreters and foreign language interpreters speaking in the national territory.

“Redirection of support requests to other support lines and services, public and private, appropriate to the specific case” is also part of the functionality of the service.

According to the diploma, the coordination and management of the national line depends on the entity responsible for the SNS 24 line and is in accordance with state policy in the field of mental health.

“The service team must be coordinated and composed of mental health professionals hired for this purpose, without compromising the ability to integrate volunteers, and intervention and supervision mechanisms must be guaranteed that promote the well-being and self-care of the team,” he emphasizes.

Volunteers should receive initial training and ongoing training on suicidal ideation, self-harm behavior and emotional regulation skills.

The operation of the line is established by internal rules that determine, in particular, the profile and methodology for recruiting volunteers, as well as their right to benefits for food and travel expenses.

The law states that the national line must be promoted annually through a national multimedia campaign, including regional and local audiovisual media, and “regularly and prominently in health care facilities, prisons and educational centers, government agencies and services, schools and day centers, among other places which are considered suitable.”

The line is financed through annual budgetary allocations included in the state budget, according to the diploma, according to which the government has up to 60 days to regulate the law.

According to the decree-law, regulation should be carried out jointly with the National Coordination of Mental Health Policy, in close inter-ministerial cooperation and with representatives of professional groups of mental health specialists, scientific societies and civil society organizations working in this field.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 700,000 people end their lives every year.

Data from the National Institute of Statistics shows that there were 934 deaths due to suicide and voluntary self-harm in Portugal in 2021, corresponding to an overall mortality rate of 9 per 100,000 inhabitants.

If necessary, people can contact 112, Psychological Consultation Service SNS 24 (808 24 24 24), Voz Amiga SOS Line (213 544 545; 912 802 669; 963 524 660), Friendship Phone (222 080 707), Conversa Amiga. (808 237 327, 210 027 159), Voz de Apoio (225 506 070) and Vozes Amigas de Esperança de Portugal (222 030 707).