Record number of calls to Lifeline

Lifeline has taken a record 800,000 calls in the past year and expects that figure to top one million in the next 12 months.

The national counselling group also had more than 40,000 online chats via the Crisis Support Chat service, up nearly 8000 on the previous year.

Eight out of 10 users seeking help from the online service were aged between 15 and 44, Lifeline said on Monday.