Mental Health Support - Urgent

If someone needs help for a mental health crisis, emergency or breakdown, you should seek immediate expert advice and assessment. It's important to know that support is available, even if services seem busy at the moment because of coronavirus.

Scrolling down to the local listings below will provide you with a crisis line number to use in an emergency for each London borough.

However, if someone’s life is at risk – for example they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose and you do not feel that you can keep yourself or someone else safe you should call 999.

A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical one. You will not be wasting anyone's time.

Very Brief Intervention

Ask

If you are talking to someone experiencing a mental health emergency, please go straight to the ACT section of this page to access urgent help.

Assist

If you are talking to someone experiencing a mental health emergency, please go straight to the ACT section of this page to access urgent help.

Act

If someone needs help for a mental health crisis, emergency or breakdown, you should seek immediate expert advice and assessment. It's important to know that support is available, even if services seem busy at the moment because of coronavirus.

Scrolling down to the local listings below will provide you with a crisis line number to use in an emergency for each London borough.

However, if someone’s life is at risk – for example they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose and you do not feel that you can keep yourself or someone else safe you should call 999.

A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical one. You will not be wasting anyone's time.

If you are not able to speak to your local NHS urgent mental health helpline and you need help urgently for a mental health issue, but it's not an emergency, you should call 111 who will tell you the right place to get help.

 

If you are worried that this person is at risk of suicide, please also see the section for Suicide Prevention.

You can also encourage them to ring:

Samaritans - (All age groups)

Tel: 116 123, open 24 hours a day.

Papyrus - (Young people)

Tel: 0800 068 41 41

Text: 07786209697

Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org

Opening hours - Mon-Fri: 10am-10pm, weekends: 2pm-10pm & bank holidays: 2pm-5pm

If you're under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.

 

Coping during a crisis

The mental health charity Mind has information on ways to help yourself cope during a crisis.

This includes calming exercises and a tool to get you through the next few hours.

Local Support and Contact Details