Figures are up by 17% indicating that people are changing the way the use the service, moving from the traditional 'over the phone' to direct contact.

The organisation says 2012 has been its busiest ever year. Simon volunteers have clocked up 57,000 hours of listening time, that represents a 3% increase on last year.

In it's annual report, Simon says the calls were longer in duration and focused on a more complex range of issues than in previous years. It says suicide is now a real concern.

The agency also reports a 20% rise in the number of people sleeping rough in Dublin between April and November and it says there been a significant increase in rough sleeping in Cork.

Simon says men aged between 34 and 55 are a high risk group that are particularly affected by the recession.

You can contact Samaritans Ireland on 1850 60 90 90.