Analysis of calls to the Danish helpline for suicide prevention: half of all calls are answered – despite waiting times

Every year, one out of 470 Danes calls the Danish helpline for suicide prevention. Only a small proportion of callers get through on their first attempt, while many succeed after calling several times. In total, about half of those who call get through to speaking with a counselor. A small group calls daily or even several times a day.

DRISP has analyzed anonymous telephone data covering more than 500,000 calls to Danish helpline for suicide prevention (‘Livslinien’) between 2019 and 2022. This is the first comprehensive review of call data from the helpline.

Looking at the raw figures from the phone provider, they show that 10–14% of all calls to helpline are answered. But the researchers’ study found that the real number is closer to half. “We counted unique calls, taking into account repeated calls made because the first attempt was not answered. In this way, we get a more accurate estimate”, explains lead author Annette Erlangsen, PhD, senior researcher and program director at DRISP. This shows us that about half of all people who try to call helpline do get through,” she continues, adding: “It often takes several attempts before being answered. Newer users are not always aware of this, and it seems they therefore have more difficulty getting through”.

In principle, this means that if the helpline’s capacity was doubled, it would be possible to answer all calls. “We are already working on this expansion“, says Agnieszka Storgaard Nielsen, head of counseling at Livslinien. “In 2021, we opened a branch in Aarhus and increased our recruitment efforts, which means we can now answer many more calls, so fewer people end up calling in vain. Fortunately, there is great interest in volunteering, though we still have an ongoing need for more counselors”.

Every year, 1 in 470 danes call the helpline. Calls are evenly distributed throughout the daily opening hours between 11:00 and 05:00. Nearly half (47%) of callers are assessed as having serious suicidal thoughts, and many conversations are about mental health and loneliness. “It is encouraging to know that people struggling with suicidal thoughts reach out for help – it is very important to ensure that they receive competent support to get through crises. Suicidal thoughts can pass, and help is available”, concludes Annette Erlangsen.

The analysis also shows that 8–12 people a year (equivalent to 24 over the three-year period) call several times a day. In fact, they account for 60% of all calls (see figure), and counselors spend a total of 33% of their counseling time speaking with this group of daily users. “We do not yet know how best to meet the needs of this group, so we plan to invite a selection of Livslinien users to participate in a study next year to hear their perspectives,” says Annette Erlangsen. In collaboration with Livslinien, DRISP has already begun investigating whether this group’s needs can be better met. In autumn 2025, an interview study is conducted to gain more knowledge about the needs of the daily users.