Sydney Suicide Helpline Pleads for Funding as Lockdown Drives Demand

A tram construction site is closed during COVID-19 lockdown in the central business district of Parramatta in Sydney, Australia, on July 31, 2021. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

An Australian suicide prevention charity is pleading for extra government funding to meet the surging demand for lifesaving help amidst repeated COVID-19 lockdowns.

The suicide helpline of Parents Beyond Breakup (PBB), a national non-profit, has recorded its highest number of callers in its 22-years of operation, with an overall 85 percent increase in calls since the first Australian COVID-19 lockdowns in March 2020.