Mental health in the UK — where to get help

In short

• If someone’s life is at risk, or you don’t feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe, call 999 or go to A&E.
• For something urgent that is not immediately life-threatening, call 111 and choose the mental health option. This applies in England, Scotland and Wales.
• Samaritans answer on 116 123 around the clock, free of charge, including from pay-as-you-go phones. If you would rather write, text SHOUT to 85258.
• You can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies (therapy for anxiety and depression, England only) without a GP referral and without a diagnosis.
• Your GP can help you find the right support and refer you on. You can ask for a free interpreter for your appointment, for example a Polish interpreter.
• If illness stops you working, you may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), and the Access to Work scheme offers support with your mental health at work.
• This guide brings together information on where to get help. It does not replace talking to a doctor or specialist.

Urgent help: 999, A&E and NHS 111

The NHS stresses that a mental health crisis should be taken as seriously as a physical emergency. 999 or your nearest A&E (open 24 hours a day) is the right choice when someone’s life is at risk or when you don’t feel you can keep yourself or another person safe (NHS).

When you need urgent help but the situation is not immediately life-threatening, in England call 111 and choose the mental health option, or use 111 online. You can then speak to a trained mental health professional. How it works in practice:

• In many parts of England this is option 2, and the call goes through to your local NHS crisis team. Listen to the recorded message, though, as the menu can vary. Local NHS trusts describe the line as open 24 hours a day, for people of all ages.
• You can call about yourself or about someone close to you.
• If you need an interpreter, ask the person who answers the call. You can do this yourself or someone can ask on your behalf (ELFT).
• The adviser will ask a few questions and listen to you. They may suggest ways to cope, refer you to local services, put you through to the crisis team or, if a life is at risk, call 999.

Some areas are still moving their existing local crisis numbers over to 111 (as of October 2026). If you are already under the care of a mental health team, ask them which contacts to use in an emergency. We explain the general rules for using 111, 999 and A&E in our guide The NHS in practice.

Someone to talk to: Samaritans, Shout and other lines

You don’t have to be in crisis to call. Support lines are also there for people who simply need to talk to someone.

Samaritans: 116 123 (Samaritans):

• open 24 hours a day,
• calls are free from landlines and mobiles, including pay-as-you-go,
• the number does not appear on your phone bill,
• you talk to trained volunteers, and the conversation is confidential,
• Welsh-language line: 0808 164 0123,
• people who are deaf or find it hard to speak can use the Relay UK app and dial 18001 116 123,
• at some local branches you can go in and talk to someone face to face.

Samaritans has closed its email and letter service in the UK. Online chat is currently unavailable (as of October 2026).

Shout: text SHOUT to 85258. This is a free, confidential text messaging service, available 24/7, for anyone in the UK. A trained volunteer replies, and you only share as much as you want to (Shout). A good option if you find it hard to talk out loud or can’t speak freely.

Information lines (these are not crisis lines):

• Mind Infoline: 0300 123 3393, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm (NHS 111 Wales). You will find more information on the Mind website.
• Rethink Mental Illness Advice Line: 0808 801 0525, free, usually Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm, except bank holidays. The line is for people aged 18 and over living in England who have a diagnosis or symptoms of mental illness, and for their family and carers. It can advise on the illness, mental health law and caring for someone. It does not offer crisis support or therapy (Rethink).

NHS Talking Therapies: therapy without a referral

NHS Talking Therapies is an NHS service in England that offers psychological treatments (NHS).

Who can refer themselves:

• people living in England,
• people aged 18 and over, and in some areas from 16,
• you don’t need a diagnosed condition,
• whether you need to be registered with a GP depends on the area, so check your local service’s website.

What you can get help with (according to the NHS): feeling low for a long time, worrying a lot about lots of different things, constant worry about your health, social anxiety, panic attacks, phobias (including agoraphobia), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and anxiety or depression linked to a long-term health condition.

How to refer yourself:

1. Go to the NHS website and enter the name of your GP surgery to find a service near you.
2. Fill in the self-referral online. You can also ask your GP to refer you.
3. The local service will contact you, tell you whether it can help and give you an estimated wait for your first session.

Waiting times vary by area. Talking Therapies is not an emergency service: if things are urgent, use 111, and if a life is at risk, call 999. Under-18s are referred to separate children and young people’s mental health services.

Your GP and interpreters

Your GP is a good first step if you’re not sure what kind of support you need. According to the NHS, your doctor can help work out what help you need and refer you to the right service (GP referral). We explain how to register with a surgery and book an appointment in our guide The NHS in practice.

A few practical tips:

• When you book, say that you need an interpreter (for example a Polish interpreter). Under government guidance, NHS providers must provide interpreting free of charge to the patient. Where language is a barrier, a professional interpreter should be offered rather than family or friends, and children should not interpret (GOV.UK).
• It is easier to talk about mental health in your first language, even if you speak English well day to day. There is nothing wrong with asking for an interpreter.
• Before your appointment, jot down in bullet points how you feel, since when, and how it affects your sleep, work or relationships. This will help you not to leave anything out.
• If the surgery is closed and it is urgent, use 111.

Children and young people

• Childline: 0800 1111 for anyone under 19. According to the NHS, the number does not appear on the phone bill (NHS).
• Shout (text SHOUT to 85258) is also recommended by YoungMinds as free text support available around the clock.
• The 111 mental health option is for people of all ages, including children and teenagers. Parents worried about a child can call too.
• YoungMinds Parents Helpline: 0808 802 5544, a free line for parents and carers, open Monday to Friday. The hours sometimes change, so check them on the YoungMinds website. The advisers can give information about a child’s mental health, offer support and point you to other services.

If you are worried about a child’s behaviour or mood, also talk to your GP, who can refer them to children and young people’s services.

Work: time off sick, SSP and Access to Work

Time off sick and sick pay. If you can’t work because of illness, tell your employer within the deadline they have set (or, if they haven’t set one, within 7 days). If you are off sick for more than 7 days in a row (including non-working days), you need a fit note (sometimes called a sick note). It can be issued by, among others, a GP, a hospital doctor, a registered nurse, an occupational therapist, a pharmacist or a physiotherapist. Statutory Sick Pay is £123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, and is paid for up to 28 weeks (as of October 2026). It is available to employees who have been unable to work for at least one full working day (GOV.UK). You will find the details in our guide Employee rights in the UK.

Access to Work: mental health support at work. Under this scheme you can get, among other things, a personal plan to help you stay in work or return to it, and one-to-one sessions with a mental health professional (GOV.UK). The conditions:

• you are aged 16 or over and in paid work (or starting or returning to work within 12 weeks); self-employment and apprenticeships also count,
• you live and work in England, Scotland or Wales (Northern Ireland has a different system),
• you don’t need a diagnosis,
• you can use Access to Work mental health support only once.

You apply directly to one of two organisations, Able Futures or Maximus, and only to one of them. If in doubt, call the Access to Work helpline: 0800 121 7479 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland. Call 111 (NHS 24) and choose the mental health option to be put through to the 111 Mental Health Hub. The hub is for people of all ages, and calls are free and possible around the clock. Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87 is a free, confidential line for people aged 16 and over in Scotland who are feeling overwhelmed but are not in immediate crisis. It is open Monday to Thursday from 6pm to 2am and around the clock at weekends, from 6pm on Friday to 6am on Monday (NHS 24).

Wales. Call 111 and choose option 2 to be put straight through to a mental health professional in your area. The service runs around the clock in every part of Wales, for people of all ages, including when you are worried about a family member. The call is free (Welsh Government).

Northern Ireland. Lifeline: 0808 808 8000 is a free, confidential crisis line open around the clock for everyone living in Northern Ireland. You can also call if you are worried about someone close to you. If it is urgent, you can book an emergency GP appointment or use the out of hours GP service. If there is an immediate danger, call 999 (nidirect).

The Samaritans number 116 123 works across the whole UK.

If you’re worried about someone close to you

You don’t need to have all the answers. Often the most important thing is that someone noticed and asked. According to nidirect’s advice:

• Say it directly, for example: ‘I’m worried about you and I want to help.’
• If you think someone is having suicidal thoughts, you can ask them directly, for example whether they are thinking about ending their life. Asking won’t put the idea into anyone’s head.

Listen calmly and don’t judge. You don’t have to solve the problem straight away.

Where you can call when you’re worried about someone: in England and Wales, 111 and the mental health option; in Scotland, the 111 Mental Health Hub; in Northern Ireland, Lifeline. Family and friends of people who are unwell can also use the Rethink line. If you are supporting someone with suicidal thoughts, the NHS says a safety plan can help, and points to the Staying Safe website and Mind’s resources. When someone’s life is at risk, don’t wait: call 999.

Look after yourself too. Supporting someone can be exhausting, and lines such as Samaritans are there for you as well.

Help and information in Polish

• An NHS interpreter is the most reliable way to speak Polish with an NHS doctor or therapist. Ask for one when you book an appointment, and when you call 111 tell the person who answers.
• The Royal College of Psychiatrists makes some of its mental health information available in Polish. It points out that it cannot guarantee the quality of the translations or that they are fully up to date.
• The Polish Psychologists’ Association is a non-profit organisation which, according to its website, offers paid, low-cost consultations and therapy in Polish, in London and online. It is not an NHS service or a crisis line. Check prices and terms directly with them.
• You can find local support organisations in your area using the Hub of Hope search tool, which the NHS recommends.

Where to get help

• A life at risk: 999 or A&E.
• Urgent help in England, Scotland and Wales: 111 and the mental health option (option 2 in Wales). In Northern Ireland: Lifeline 0808 808 8000.
• Samaritans 116 123 (24/7, free) and Shout: text SHOUT to 85258.
• NHS Talking Therapies: self-referral without a GP referral (England).
• Children and young people: Childline 0800 1111; for parents, YoungMinds 0808 802 5544.
• Information: Mind 0300 123 3393, Rethink 0808 801 0525.
• Work: Access to Work, helpline 0800 121 7479.