A quarter of a million "genuine" calls were received on the national Supportline 179 during the 20 years of service within Aġenzija Appoġġ, statistics released today show.

Supportline 179 started out as a helpline for victims of domestic violence and for child victims of abuse before eventually evolving into a national helpline.

Nowadays the service of Supportline 179 is offered on a 24-hour basis and deals with a wide range of presenting problems including domestic violence, child abuse, suicidal tendencies, loneliness, emotional difficulties, behavioural problems, substance abuse and also gambling, among others.

Additionally, in the last years, Supportline 179 extended its service further and is now also receiving calls made to the EU Emotional Support Helpline 116 123 and EU Child Helpline 116 111. The aim is to have common helplines throughout Europe where one can call for help.

Last month, Times of Malta reported that loneliness was driving thousands of people to call emergency support hotline.

Anyone interested in joining the current team of volunteers at Supportline 179 may visit www.appogg.gov.mt for more information, or call on 2388 5110 during office hours.