It takes time to develop a hotline for a new target group. This is particularly true for the English-helpline Heart2Heart. Many callers, who have called Heart2Heart, confirm the need for support in English. Nevertheless, the number of calls does not suddenly go through the roof, but increases step by step. In the second year of operation, the Heart2Heart team answered 1,248 calls. This is 17% more than in 2023.
The thematic focus of the calls were confirmed – especially in comparison to the German line. At 59% of calls, mental suffering is a very common topic and is mentioned almost one and a half times as often as on the German-language line Tel 143 (42%). Suicidal thoughts are mentioned twice as often. Other key topics on Heart2Heart are family/parenting (52%) and conversations about problems in the couple’s relationship (20%). It is also striking that the proportion of men is higher (32%) than on 143.ch (27%) and that the group of callers under 40 is even twice as large (40%).
Although the lines of Heart2Heart are open daily from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and can be reached via 0800 143 000 from anywhere in Switzerland, it remains a challenge to make known this service to the English-speaking population. In addition, people who need support or in a crisis situation are much more likely to call a helpline such as Heart2Heart if they are already aware of this service before. This is why Heart2Heart has expanded its presence on various social media platforms since mid-March 2024. The Heart2Heart Instagram channel (www.instagram.com/englishhelpline.143.ch/) has been well received. Twice a week, a post (see opposite page) on the topic of mental health can be found. With around 3,000 views per month, the channel attracts a lot of interest. Please consider following us on Instagram and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/heart2heart-tel143/) and sharing our social media accounts with your family, friends and peers.