For urgent help, mental health crisis services, or medical advice

Phone your local Mental Health Crisis Assessment Team if you are concerned about a person’s immediate safety. Stay with the person and help them to keep safe until support arrives.

To get help from a registered nurse ring Healthline: 0800 611 116.

If you need to talk to someone

Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.

Some other great places to get support include:

National helplines

• Depression helpline (24 hours a day, 7 days a week): free phone 0800 111 757 or free text 4202.
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: free phone 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO).
• Lifeline: free phone 0800 543 354 or free text 4357 (HELP).
• Samaritans crisis helpline: free phone 0800 726 666 if you are experiencing loneliness, depression, despair, distress or suicidal feelings.

Child and youth helplines

• Youthline: free phone 0800 376 633 or free text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat.
• thelowdown.co.nz or email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626.
• SPARX.org.nz: online e-therapy tool provided by the University of Auckland that helps young people learn skills to deal with feeling down, depressed or stressed.
• Kidsline: free phone 0800 543 754. Talk to a trained Kidsline buddy from 4pm-9pm weekdays.
• What's Up (for 5 to 18-year olds): free phone 0800 942 8787. Phone counselling is available Monday to Friday, 1pm–10pm and weekends, 3pm–10pm. Online chat is available 7pm–10pm daily.

Specialist helplines

• OUTLine NZ: 0800 688 5463 (OUTLINE) provides confidential telephone support for sexual and gender identity.
• Seniorline: free phone 0800 725 463 information service for older people.
• Anxiety NZ phone line: free phone 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY).
• Drug and Alcohol helpline: free phone 0800 787 797 or online chat.
• Gambling helpline: free phone 0800 654 655.
• Shine: free phone 0508 744 633 confidential domestic abuse helpline.
• Are You OK: free phone 0800 456 450 family violence helpline.
• Women's Refuge Crisis Line: free phone 0800 733 843 (0800 REFUGE) for women living with violence, or in fear, in their relationship or family.
• Shakti Crisis Line: free phone 0800 742 584 for refugee or migrant or women living with family violence.
• Vagus Line: free phone 0800 567 6666 (Mon, Wed, Fri 12 noon – 2pm) for the Chinese community.
• Victim Support: free phone 0800 842 846.
• Personal Advocacy and Safeguarding Adults Trust: free phone 0800 728 7878 for adults with care and support needs.

For more information about where to get support, visit Te Whatu Ora’s website: https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/about-us/ and the Mental Health Foundation’s website: https://mentalhealth.org.nz/