Why October 7 was the busiest day for this crisis service

Record numbers of people in financial distress are calling Lifeline as cost-of-living pressures take a serious toll on Australians’ mental health.

More than 110,000 callers to the suicide prevention helpline so far this year disclosed that their distress was rooted in money troubles (300 a day). The true magnitude of financial stress was likely to be significantly higher, as thousands more were unable to express the cause of their anguish.

Lifeline volunteer Liam Brennan says people are worried about being able to feed their families.Credit: Dylan Coker

The highest number of calls in a single day was October 7, when there were 4405 contacts (3500 phone calls and 905 digital messages), about 1000 more than the peak in 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic.

In September, the service recorded four of its 10 busiest days to date; eight of the busiest 10 have been in 2024.

“People are struggling to afford groceries and worry about whether they can feed themselves or their children,” said Liam Brennan, a Lifeline support volunteer. “Older women can’t afford to turn their heater on or [they] worry about using anything that needs power.

“We get calls from people who are suicidal, but I also get calls from dad tradies who call after work because they had a tough day mentally, and they need to talk about what’s going on in their head before they get home and have kids to help look after.”

Lifeline’s Financial Stress Toolkit web page has had almost twice the number of views as in the corresponding period last year (up 183 per cent).

Lifeline Australia chief executive Colin Seery said there was a pressing need to invest in community-based programs that help people build financial resilience.

The latest inflation figures show price pressures are starting to ease, but Australia’s cost-of-living crisis has been brutal on mental health. Many families are struggling to keep up with mortgages or rising rents and to pay for groceries, power bills and fuel.

Seery said: “Add to these multiple other factors happening at the same time, from domestic and family violence and social isolation to extreme weather and events overseas, and you can begin to understand why levels of anxiety and distress are on the rise.”

Lifeline chief research officer Dr Anna Brooks said there was clear evidence that financial stress and financial uncertainty were risk factors for suicide and suicidal thinking.

“People are now coming into Lifeline centres asking for food and bedding. Some centres are storing sleeping bags. It is a mark of how serious this is that Lifeline is now trying to provide support for basics as well as its suicide prevention role,” Brooks said.

A recent Orygen survey of almost 20,000 young Australians found that one in five is in financial hardship, and more than half are worried about their financial future.

Lifeline 13 11 14. Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636.

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