Samaritans urge residents to #BreakTheSilence

Last Christmas, the charity responded to almost 250K calls

The Isle of Man Samaritans is urging residents to 'break the silence' and open up about their struggles with mental health and suicidal feelings.

Statistics from the charity show a call is made to the helpline every ten seconds, and every 90 minutes in the UK, someone dies by suicide.

Over the festive period last year, volunteers responded to 244,254 calls across the UK and Ireland.

Whilst Christmas is often a time many get together with family and friends, it's something Deputy Director Sinead Nudd says can exacerbate loneliness: