The PAS emotional-support line in Puerto Rico receives between 35,000 and 40,000 calls a month from people seeking help, said its director, Monserrate Allende. Allende said most calls come from older adults who feel lonely, from family conflicts, and from economic crises. Call volume peaks during the first three months of the year and again from August to December, easing somewhat in summer.
There is a lot of need, but there is always a solution
In the Christmas season the calls rise but the reasons change, she said: callers say they are sad or alone, recall what they have not achieved, and reflect on losses. Economic hardship is another recurring motive, which she described not as joblessness but as having some income that still is not enough. "There is a lot of need, but there is always a solution," Allende said.
The line can be reached at 988, answers calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, free of charge and confidential.