Line 024: “Call to life”

On May 10, 2022, the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, presented Line 024 under the motto “Call life”, a Suicidal Behavior Attention number that will be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

This telephone number, responsible for early detection or suicidal behavior plans, is a free, accessible, anonymous, confidential service run by a team of 26 operators and 11 supervisors who are experts in managing interventions with people at risk of suicidal behavior. The person in charge of directing this project, Fátima Cabello, deputy director of Health at the Red Cross, explains that the objective of this initiative is to offer a high-quality service to this very serious public health problem.

In addition, this number is not only available for people who have suicidal thoughts, but also for those who need information on the subject and for the people around them. The president of the Mental Health Conference of Spain, Nel González Zapico, explains that “Knowing that there is something that will guide us and that will support us is fundamental”. Furthermore, it confirms that “the simple fact of being listened to, of being attended to, even by telephone, already gives rise to a different attitude”.

Suicide is the first cause of external death in Spain. According to the INE in 2020, 3,491 deaths by suicide were recorded, 7.4 more than 2019. Worldwide, more than 700,000 people die from suicide each year, according to the WHO.

In its first 24 hours of operation, 1,000 calls were already received

Caring is learned by caring, which is why Fraternidad-Muprespa supports the Mental Health Action Plan project of the Ministry of Health. La Mutua has been committed to emotional well-being and awareness of mental health for several years now:

• Since 2014, content on this topic has been disseminated in the blog of the Fraternidad-Muprespa Own Prevention Service (SPP).
• As a novelty, the Clinical Psychology unit was incorporated into the SPP in order to meet the needs of employees from within the organization itself and adaptability difficulties in the personal and work field, to help develop tools and skills for more optimal management of workers' lives.
• Courses have been created and training provided to all employees of the mutual insurance company for the understanding of mental health.