Befrienders Worldwide is a charity that helps people who are considering

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

or experiencing general emotional distress. They have 349 emotional support centres in 32 countries, reaching an estimated 7 million people each year. Volunteers listen without judging people or telling them what to do, and can be contacted by phone, email, SMS, internet chat or in person, dependent on location. As Befrienders Worldwide evolved from the

Samaritans Samaritans (; ; he, שומרונים, translit=Šōmrōnīm, lit=; ar, السامريون, translit=as-Sāmiriyyūn) are an ethnoreligious group who originate from the ancient Israelites. They are native to the Levant and adhere to Samarit ...

in the UK, some of its centres use the name Samaritans, while others use Befrienders or similar. The primary aim of all centres is to relieve distress and thus reduce the number of deaths by suicide. They recognise "the importance of being listened to, in confidence, anonymously, and without prejudice" and "value that a person has the fundamental decision about their own life." They have no political, religious or sectarian affiliations and the beliefs of volunteers are not imposed onto callers. Experienced volunteers select, train and supervise other volunteers; individual member centres also support each other and share information. Besides a list of national organisations where people can find help in their own countries, the Befrienders Website has general information about depression, suicide warning signs, and other topics.

References

External links

Welcome to Befrienders Worldwide
provides support across the whole of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Suicide prevention {{charity-org-stub