The Samaritans answered almost 640,000 calls for help between October 2015 and September 2016, with its busiest time being between the hours of 6pm and midnight, a new report has shown.

The Samaritans offer emotional support to people who are struggling to cope, including those with suicidal thoughts. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to the organisation's 2015-2016 Impact Report, the majority of calls it receives are out of hours, when people are at their loneliest.

During the 12-month period assessed, the Samaritans answered 639,652 calls for help via phone calls, text messages, emails and through face-to-face visits to branches.

More than one in three calls were made between 6pm and midnight and 63% were made between 6pm and 6am.

The busiest days of the week were Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, with these three days accounting for over 55% of all calls.

The busiest hour for calls during the 12-month period was between 8pm and 9pm on a Monday night and in general, calls received on a Monday tended to be longer than calls received on other days, suggesting that Mondays are a ‘particularly difficult time for people'.

The average number of calls received on Mondays was 1,705. However, on bank holiday Mondays, this increased to 1,835. The longest duration of calls on Mondays tended to take place between 4am and 6am.

Some of the main issues that arose during calls thoughout the year were family/relationship problems, depression, anxiety, loneliness and financial problems.

Commenting on the report, the organisation's executive director, Deirdre Toner, said that the fact that most calls are received out of hours shows that the Samaritans ‘provide a vital support for people in distress when other services and supports may not be available'.

"People who are struggling often feel isolated and alone. They may want to talk about their suicidal feelings but don't know where to turn, or fear that they may be judged.

"Over 450 people in Ireland take their lives each year. Many of those people may feel like they don't have anywhere to seek support. Samaritans volunteers work hard to provide a space for people in crisis when there may be nowhere else to turn," Ms Toner explained.

The report showed that 1,836 Samaritan volunteers provided over 74,000 hours of listening to people in distress during the 12-month period. It also noted that demand for the service has jumped significantly since the organisation launched a new number that is free to call in 2014.

"Our volunteers are ordinary people who do extraordinary things to support people when they are at their most vulnerable. Samaritans volunteers are there even during the loneliest hours of the night to offer support without fear of judgment," explained Giovanni Doran, regional director and volunteer with Samaritans Ireland.

If you would like to contact the Samaritans, call 116 123. This number is free of charge and will not appear on your phone bill. Alternatively, email jo@samaritans.org or click here for details of your nearest branch.