Most of the callers were women (twice as many compared to men). Among those seeking advice, the age group of 51 to 60-year-olds was the largest with a total of 1,192 calls, followed by 41 to 50-year-olds (634 calls) which in turn was very closely followed by 31 to 40-year-olds.
The number of people calling due to feelings of isolation was twice as high as in 2019 and came in at 640 calls in 2020.
SOS Détresse also created a new category last year, which counted all of the calls regarding Covid-19. According to the helpline's director, Sébastien Hay, especially at the start of the pandemic, a lot of people called SOS Détresse because of fears or uncertainties. Callers enquired, for instance, what type of virus was actually circulating and what kind of consequences could be expected.
A total of 782 callers had questions or worries regarding Covid-19. The closure of the Horesca sector also led numerous people to contact the helpline because they feared that they might lose their livelihoods. Meanwhile, the number of people calling SOS Détresse due to general financial problems remained stable.
Numbers also remained stable in the categories of labour, education, violence, or sexuality. A decline could be observed in calls regarding interpersonal relations and problems. In 2019, 536 contacted the helpline due to relationship problems compared to 392 in 2020.
