There were 8,895 telephone calls made to the government helpline in 2017, of which 2,243 were related to mental health issues.

Responding to a parliamentary question by Mario Galea, Social Solidarity Minister Michael Falzon said that 54 of these calls were related to people feeling suicidal.

Supportline 179 is the national helpline offering support, information about local social welfare services and other agencies, and a referral service to callers who requires support. It is also a national service to people who are in times of difficulty or crisis. The primary mission of the Supportline 179 service is to provide, immediate and unbiased help to those seeking information, support and/or require a referral to social service agencies.

The service is run by a team of professionally trained volunteers. Supportline 179 receives calls on situations of child abuse, domestic violence, drug/alcohol/gambling problems, amongst others.

Moreover, all calls received on the EU Emotional Support Helpline 116 123 and EU Child Helpline 116 111, are also dealt with by the Supportline 179 team.

The EU Emotional Support Helpline 116 123 offers emotional support to callers suffering from loneliness, those who find themselves in a state of psychological crises, and those who require emotional support due to various life situations they might be encountering.

The EU Child Helpline 116 111 offers help and support for children and young people. The services enables children and young people to find solutions to their problems and links them to others services and resources.

The service is available to all local and foreign citizens in Malta. The aim is to have one international number as directed by the European Commission, recognisable in all EU member states, available for all European citizens.