Samaritans: advert-body-2 by MullenLowe London

While most of us like to think we’re good listeners, we keep quiet about our own problems, statistics released by Samaritans show. Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of people in the UK believe they’re good listeners, but less than a quarter (23 per cent) feel they can talk when something’s on their mind.

The figures come as Samaritans and MullenLowe London launch the ‘We Listen’ campaign, the first campaign from MullenLowe London since winning the charity’s business in July 2015.

Funded by Network Rail on behalf of the rail industry, the message is that when you are struggling to cope it is often hard to talk about your problems and easier to hide your feelings.

But when someone listens, like Samaritans trained volunteers, you’re more likely to open up and start working through your problems. The campaign is the start of a repositioning of Samaritans as the expert listeners, led by MullenLowe London. The aim of the campaign is to encourage people to contact Samaritans before they feel suicidal, as soon as they start to think that they are struggling to cope. .