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Shout is a free, confidential, 24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK struggling with their mental health. Designed for those who prefer texting to talking, it helps ease pressure on phone helplines.

Since launching publicly in May 2019, Shout has rapidly expanded to meet growing demand from children, young people and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and more. Trained volunteers, supported by experienced clinicians, have taken three million conversations with 950,000 people in distress, 62% of whom are under 25.

Handling 1,500–2,000 conversations daily, Shout operates at scale. As a digital service, our anonymised data provides valuable insights into UK mental health trends.


How Shout works

Key insights into Shout texters

  • 60% are children and young people
  • 26% of school-aged texters are receiving free school meals
  • 31% have no-one else to talk to
  • 48% have never spoken to anyone about their mental health before
  • 37% identify as LGBTQ+
  • 15% identify as Autistic and 7% have ADHD
  • 4% live with learning disabilities

Our unique track record

3 million

conversations since launch

1,500 - 2,000

daily conversations with people from every region across the UK

£10

each conversation costs less than £10

37%

of conversations were related to suicide

30,000

safety plans co-created with texters who were at imminent risk of suicide

1-2%

the number of texters who were at imminent risk referred to emergency services

How Shout can support your organisation