A new hotline aimed at preventing suicide and self-harm was officially regulated through a decree published today in the Diário da República, following its creation in early 2024 by a parliamentary act. The initiative is designed to provide mental health support services nationally, free of charge, throughout the year.
“The national hotline aims to offer the general population specialized support provided by mental health professionals, capable of addressing any inquiries related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors, through a free telephone service operating 24/7,” states the decree signed by the Secretary of State for Health, Ana Povo.
Operating in conjunction with the SNS 24 psychological counseling service, the suicide prevention hotline will commence operations on September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day. It will function autonomously with its own identity and dedicated phone number.
The service will be named the National Suicide Prevention Line, accessible at the number 1411, staffed by trained mental health and suicidology professionals, including clinical psychologists, health psychologists, and psychiatric mental health nurses, as outlined in the regulation.
Initially, incoming calls will be handled by psychologists from SNS 24’s counseling service, who have received specific training in suicidology, and may also involve other trained health professionals.
The Ministry of Health’s Shared Services (SPMS) will oversee the hotline’s coordination, including the professional training and nationwide dissemination of the service. The regulation emphasizes the strict confidentiality of all personal and clinical information provided by users, in compliance with data protection laws.
Recently, the Council of Ministers approved a decree-law amending the SPMS’s statute, introducing the role of a clinical coordinator for the National Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Line.
In September 2024, Ana Povo revealed to the Lusa news agency that a task force had been established to develop scientific and operational frameworks for the hotline’s implementation.
The regulation was published in collaboration with the National Coordination for Mental Health Policies and consulted with professional bodies representing doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and associations like the Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health, as well as the Portuguese Society of Suicidology.
According to the World Health Organization, over 700,000 people die by suicide each year globally.
The National Institute of Statistics in Portugal recorded 934 suicides and self-inflicted injuries in 2021, translating to a total mortality rate of nine per 100,000 inhabitants.
