↓ Skip to main content

Frequent callers to telephone helplines: new evidence and a new service model

Overview of attention for article published in International Journal of Mental Health Systems, May 2016
Altmetric Badge

About this Attention Score

  • In the top 25% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (88th percentile)
  • Good Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (73rd percentile)

Mentioned by

news
1 news outlet
policy
1 policy source
twitter
5 X users

Citations

dimensions_citation
31 Dimensions

Readers on

mendeley
94 Mendeley
You are seeing a free-to-access but limited selection of the activity Altmetric has collected about this research output. Click here to find out more.
Title
Frequent callers to telephone helplines: new evidence and a new service model
Published in
International Journal of Mental Health Systems, May 2016
DOI 10.1186/s13033-016-0076-4
Pubmed ID
Authors

Jane Pirkis, Aves Middleton, Bridget Bassilios, Meredith Harris, Matthew J. Spittal, Izabela Fedszyn, Patty Chondros, Jane Gunn

Abstract

This paper describes a program of work designed to inform a service model to address a challenge for telephone helplines, namely frequent callers. We conducted a systematic literature review and four empirical studies that drew on different data sources-(a) routinely collected calls data from Lifeline, Australia's largest telephone helpline; (b) data from surveys/interviews with Lifeline frequent callers; (c) data from the Diagnosis, Management and Outcomes of Depression in Primary Care (diamond) study; and (d) data from Australia's National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Frequent callers represent 3 % of callers but make 60 % of calls. They are isolated and have few social supports but are not "time wasters"; they have major mental and physical health problems and are often in crisis. They make use of other services for their mental health problems. The circumstances under which they use telephone helplines vary, but current service models reinforce their calling behaviour. The findings point to a service model that might better serve the needs of both frequent callers and other callers. The model involves offering frequent callers an integrated, tailored service in which they are allocated a dedicated and specially trained telephone crisis supporter (TCS), and given set calling times. It also involves promoting better linkages between telephone helplines and other services that provide mental health care, particularly general practitioners (GPs) and other primary care providers. The next step is to refine and test the model.

X Demographics

X Demographics

The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 5 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 94 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United Kingdom 2 2%
India 1 1%
Unknown 91 97%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Doctoral Student 12 13%
Researcher 11 12%
Student > Bachelor 10 11%
Student > Master 9 10%
Student > Ph. D. Student 6 6%
Other 17 18%
Unknown 29 31%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Psychology 24 26%
Medicine and Dentistry 13 14%
Social Sciences 6 6%
Nursing and Health Professions 5 5%
Computer Science 3 3%
Other 9 10%
Unknown 34 36%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 16. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 18 July 2022.
All research outputs
#2,151,685
of 24,294,767 outputs
Outputs from International Journal of Mental Health Systems
#97
of 739 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#38,524
of 344,749 outputs
Outputs of similar age from International Journal of Mental Health Systems
#4
of 15 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 24,294,767 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 91st percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 739 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 8.8. This one has done well, scoring higher than 86% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 344,749 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 88% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 15 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 73% of its contemporaries.