Suicide Hotlines and Crisis Lines in New Zealand

A helpline is a place to talk to someone when you are struggling, before or instead of a crisis. The lines on this page are answered by counsellors, trained volunteers or registered health staff, depending on the service. If you are not in New Zealand, the worldwide list is organised by country.

What you share is kept private in almost all cases; if a counsellor believes a life is in immediate danger, they may arrange urgent help. What each service costs is set out beside it below. Almost every line here is free to call, and where an organisation publishes no call cost we say so rather than guess.

Two things on this page changed in September 2026 and are worth knowing before you dial. The Suicide Crisis Helpline, 0508 TAUTOKO, has not been a round-the-clock service since November 2025; its hours are stated in its own entry. And 1737, the national counselling line, now leads this page, because it is the line that answers at any hour anywhere in the country.

TherapyRoute is a directory. We do not answer calls or messages ourselves, so please use the numbers below rather than contacting us if you need someone now.

CRISIS LINES, SUICIDE HOTLINES, AND HELPLINES IN NEW ZEALAND

Each number below was checked in September 2026 at the operating organisation's own website, or at an official New Zealand government page.

Notice an error or a missing service? Please tell us so we can correct it.

111, New Zealand's emergency number

1737 Need to Talk, the national line, call or text 1737

Suicide Crisis Helpline, 0508 TAUTOKO, 7am to midnight

Lifeline Aotearoa, 0800 543 354, 7am to midnight

Depression Helpline, 0800 111 757

Healthline, 0800 611 116, nurses and paramedics

Youthline, 0800 376 633, for young people

What's Up, 0800 942 8787, for tamariki and rangatahi

Anxiety Helpline, 0800 ANXIETY

Samaritans, 0800 726 666

Shine, 0508 744 633, family violence

Shakti Crisisline, 0800 742 584

Alcohol Drug Helpline, 0800 787 797

Te Puna Oranga, 0800 222 042, Christchurch

Warmline, 0508 927 654, central Auckland

While you are waiting to be answered

If you are worried about someone else

---

111, New Zealand's emergency number

111 reaches Police, Fire and Ambulance. The New Zealand Police put it plainly on their own page: "Call One-One-one (111) when you need an emergency response from Police, Fire or Ambulance. The operator will ask you which service you need and connect you to the right service. 111 calls are free. You can call this number on a mobile phone even if the phone is out of credit."

Their guidance on when to use it is equally plain: call and ask for Police when someone is badly injured or in danger, or there is a serious risk to life or property. And, in their own words, "If you can't decide whether it's a real emergency and you're still worried, call 111 and ask. We'll help you work out what to do."

Emergency: 111, for Police, Fire and Ambulance

Cost: free, in the Police's own words.

If you cannot speak or hear on the phone: the Police run a 111 TXT service. It has to be registered in advance and the registration page prints no number to text, so register first at the Police's own 111 page rather than trying to text on the day.

If you need Police but cannot say so out loud: the Police page states that "If you need Police but can't speak for fear of harm, you will be asked to press keys for emergency assistance." That matters most in family violence calls.

For a mental health emergency: Health New Zealand's own guidance is to call 111, go to your nearest emergency department, or contact your local mental health crisis assessment team. The crisis assessment teams are regional and their numbers are not reproduced here, because they were not read one by one; Health New Zealand lists them on its where to get help page.

1737 Need to Talk, the national line, call or text 1737

1737 is New Zealand's national counselling helpline, answered by trained counsellors and peer support workers. In its own words: "1737 is a free, confidential helpline in New Zealand, powered by Whakarongorau Aotearoa / New Zealand Telehealth Services and funded by Health New Zealand. Available 24/7, it offers support, advice, and information from trained counsellors." It is a national service, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and its team includes counsellors registered with the New Zealand Association of Counsellors and with the Addiction Practitioners' Association Aotearoa New Zealand, alongside social workers.

The service is clear about its own boundary, and it is worth reading before you dial: "The 1737 team offers brief emotional support, helping to identify key issues, plan steps to take, and connect with more comprehensive support services when needed. 1737 is not a crisis team or a mental health service for those with severe mental illness or psychological distress." If that is what you need, 111 and your local crisis assessment team are the routes above.

Tel: 1737

Text: 1737

Tel: 0800 1737 1737, the long form Health New Zealand publishes for the same service

Hours: the counselling line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the service's own words and in Health New Zealand's.

Cost: free, and the service says so of both channels: "you can text 1737 or call for free, anytime."

Languages: not published on the pages we read.

One channel runs shorter hours, and it is stated separately rather than folded in. 1737's peer support service, where you speak to someone who has been through something similar, is "available daily from 2pm to 10pm" and is by phone only. The counselling line above keeps its own hours.

Suicide Crisis Helpline, 0508 TAUTOKO, 7am to midnight

The Suicide Crisis Helpline, published as 0508 TAUTOKO, is run by Lifeline Aotearoa. In Lifeline's own words: "A free, nationwide service available 7 days a week. TAUTOKO is operated by trained and experienced social service practitioners who have undergone suicide prevention training. If you are thinking about suicide, call the Suicide Crisis Helpline for support. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call emergency services immediately on 111."

Its hours changed in November 2025 and this page now states them as its operator does. Between midnight and 7.00am the line is closed; 1737 above answers at any hour, and 111 is the emergency route.

Tel: 0508 828 865

Hours: 7.00am to midnight, seven days a week, in Lifeline's own notice of 6 November 2025: "Its new operating hours are 7.00am to midnight, seven days per week."

Cost: free.

Languages: not published.

Lifeline Aotearoa, 0800 543 354, 7am to midnight

Lifeline Aotearoa is a service of Presbyterian Support Northern and has been running community helplines for more than sixty years. In its own words: "Our free community helplines, 0800 LIFELINE and Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 TAUTOKO, and our text support service HELP (4357) are answered by our highly trained team from centres in Auckland and Christchurch." Of the helpline counsellors: "They deal with a wide variety of issues including suicidality, emotional and psychological distress, relationship/whanau disputes, domestic violence, work and financial concerns."

Tel: 0800 543 354, published as 0800 LIFELINE

Text: HELP to 4357

Hours: 7.00am to midnight, seven days a week, on all three of Lifeline's lines, in the organisation's own notice of 6 November 2025.

Cost: free, in the organisation's own words.

Languages: not published.

Reported and not resolved: Lifeline's own news item of 13 July 2026 records $1.2 million in interim government funding, which it says "will only meet about a third of our annual costs". That page does not say the hours were restored, and no page we read states any window other than the one above, so nothing is inferred from the funding news.

Depression Helpline, 0800 111 757

The Depression Helpline is carried on Health New Zealand's national helplines page as a national service, alongside 1737 and the Suicide Crisis Helpline. In Health New Zealand's own words: "The Depression helpline is a free service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It has trained counsellors who can talk you through your problems and suggest help in your area."

Tel: 0800 111 757

Text: 4202

Hours: available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in Health New Zealand's own words.

Cost: a free service, in the same words.

Languages: not published on the page we read.

Sourcing note: depression.org.nz, the service's own website, renders its contact details in JavaScript and served no telephone number at all when we fetched it, so both numbers here come from Health New Zealand's own page. Both match the numbers the previous version of this page carried.

Healthline, 0800 611 116, nurses and paramedics

Healthline is the number to call when someone is unwell and you are not sure whether it is an emergency. Health New Zealand's own page: "Healthline is a free over-the-phone health service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you or someone in your family is unwell, you can call Healthline and speak to experienced nurses and paramedics for health advice and information about what to do next." The same page adds that "Healthline can also connect you with an ambulance service if needed."

It is a national service, funded by Health New Zealand and provided by Whakarongorau Aotearoa, the same organisation that answers 1737. It was absent from the previous version of this page.

Tel: 0800 611 116

Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in Health New Zealand's own words.

Cost: free, in the same words.

Languages: not published on the page we read.

Youthline, 0800 376 633, for young people

Youthline "works with young people, their families and those supporting young people", and presents its telephone and text channels as a round-the-clock helpline. Health New Zealand lists it as a national service in these words: "Any young person in New Zealand, or anyone supporting a young person, can call or text Youthline for help." It was absent from the previous version of this page.

Tel: 0800 376 633

Text: 234

Email: talk@youthline.co.nz

Hours: the phone and text channels are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in Youthline's own words. Health New Zealand adds the channel detail: the webchat on Youthline's own site runs 10am to 10pm, and email can be sent at any time.

Cost: free, in Youthline's own words: "Free call 0800 376 633 | Free text 234."

Languages: not published.

What's Up, 0800 942 8787, for tamariki and rangatahi

What's Up is Barnardos Aotearoa's line for children and teenagers. In its own words: "What's up is a safe place for rangatahi and tamariki to chat. Our free helpline is open every day, 11am-11pm for kids and teens." The Department of Internal Affairs describes it as "A safe place for you to talk about anything at all." It was absent from the previous version of this page.

Tel: 0800 942 8787

Chat: whatsup.co.nz

Hours: the phone line is open every day from 11am to 11pm, and the online chat from 11am to 10.30pm. Outside those hours, 1737 above answers at any age and at any hour.

Cost: free, in the service's own words.

Languages: not published.

Anxiety Helpline, 0800 ANXIETY

The Anxiety New Zealand Trust describes itself in its own words: "We are here for all people living with anxiety and other mental health experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand. We offer specialist clinical services, ongoing peer support groups, educational resources, and immediate help via our free 24/7 national 0800 ANXIETY Helpline."

Tel: 0800 269 438

Tel: 0800 ANXIETY, the vanity form the Trust prints beside it

Hours: "Here for you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week", in the Trust's own words.

Cost: free, in the same sentence.

Languages: not published.

Samaritans, 0800 726 666

Samaritans answer a single 0800 line for the whole country, with branches including Horowhenua, Manawatu, Rotorua and Lifelink, Tauranga and Wellington. In the Department of Internal Affairs' own words: "Samaritans' mission is to reduce suicide. They are there when you need to talk about the really hard stuff. Call their all-day helpline on 0800 726 666."

Tel: 0800 726 666

Hours: an all-day helpline, which is the only description of its hours we could read at an official source. Samaritans New Zealand's own website could not be opened from here, so we state what the government page states and nothing more.

Cost: not published at the source we read.

Languages: not published.

Shine, 0508 744 633, family violence

Shine, a service of Presbyterian Support Northern, runs a family violence helpline. In its own words: "Our free helpline and webchat services provide 24/7, confidential family violence support from highly trained staff", and "Our confidential helpline is free and accessible 24/7 via phone or live webchat." The Department of Internal Affairs lists the number without a regional qualifier, and Presbyterian Support Northern describes Shine among its national services, so the entry is national on that evidence. The previous version of this page described the service as supporting victims of domestic violence; family violence is the term the organisation itself uses and the term used in New Zealand today.

Tel: 0508 744 633

Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the organisation's own words, printed twice on its own home page.

Cost: free, in the same words.

Languages: not published.

Shakti Crisisline, 0800 742 584

Shakti Women's Refuge Trust runs a crisis line for migrant and refugee women. In its own words: "Shakti Crisis Line is a national toll-free confidential 24/7 support service for migrant and refugee women facing domestic violence. This service is provided in several Asian, Middle Eastern and African languages besides English." The Trust "provides 24/7 confidential support, safe housing, and practical help for women and children of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern backgrounds across New Zealand." The previous version of this page described the service far more loosely, as support for women in distress; the organisation's own scope is narrower and more useful to the reader who needs it.

Tel: 0800 742 584, published as 0800 SHAKTI

Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the Trust's own words.

Cost: toll-free, in the Trust's own words.

Languages: several Asian, Middle Eastern and African languages besides English. The Trust describes the line as multilingual and does not itemise the languages.

Alcohol Drug Helpline, 0800 787 797

The Alcohol Drug Helpline is a national line on Health New Zealand's own helplines page, described there as "Advice, information and support about drinking or other drug use." The 1737 service's own site prints the same pair of contacts and adds: "If alcohol or drugs are affecting you or someone close to you, free support services are available. For advice, information, and support about drinking or other drug use, we have a specialist team who can tautoko (support) you." It was absent from the previous version of this page.

Tel: 0800 787 797

Text: 8681

Hours: not published on either page we read, so we do not state any.

Cost: free, in the 1737 site's own words: "Free call 0800 787 797 or text 8681."

Languages: not published.

Te Puna Oranga, 0800 222 042, Christchurch

Te Puna Oranga is a Christchurch community service provider, "rooted in kaupapa and tikanga Maori", and describes itself as urban-based and community-scoped. Its Sexual Violence Crisis Response Line is described on its own page: "Our 24/7 helpline connects victims of sexual violence with skilled practitioners who guide them through their next steps. Immediate support for recent or historical incidents. Assistance with reporting to police and referrals to the Cambridge Clinic for forensic testing. Access to immediate counselling sessions and personalised guidance."

It is a regional service, based in Christchurch, and it is listed here below the lines that cover the whole country.

Tel: 0800 222 042

Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the organisation's own words.

Cost: not published on the pages we read. It is an 0800 number.

Languages: not published. The service is kaupapa Maori.

Warmline, 0508 927 654, central Auckland

Warmline is Lifeline Aotearoa's peer support helpline for people who use Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai Auckland Mental Health Services. In its own words it offers "Confidential peer support from someone who has been in a similar situation; A listening ear; Someone to talk to; Support when you're feeling overwhelmed by a bad day", along with referral to other community organisations and mental health services. It covers the central Auckland area, so it is a regional line, and it was absent from the previous version of this page. It is here because no other entry covers peer support for people already inside Auckland's mental health services.

Tel: 0508 927 654, published as 0508 WARMLINE

Hours: 5pm to 11pm, seven days a week, in the organisation's own words.

Cost: not published on the page we read.

Languages: not published.

While you are waiting to be answered

A line that is open can still be busy, and four of the lines on this page close overnight: the Suicide Crisis Helpline and Lifeline Aotearoa, both 7.00am to midnight; What's Up, 11am to 11pm; and the Warmline, 5pm to 11pm. If you are waiting, try to stay with someone you trust, or ask someone to sit with you until the call connects.

If you have anything near you that you could use to harm yourself, put it somewhere harder to reach, or ask someone else to hold it for you. Distance and time both help.

If waiting is not possible, dial 111 and ask for Ambulance, or go to a hospital emergency department. You do not need an appointment and you do not need to explain yourself well.

If you are worried about someone else

Ask them directly. Asking someone whether they are thinking of suicide does not put the idea there, and it often comes as a relief to be asked plainly.

Listen more than you advise. You do not need the right words, and you are not expected to fix anything.

If they are willing, offer to sit with them while they phone one of the numbers above, or to make the call together. If they are in immediate danger, treat it as you would any medical emergency.

Supporting someone through this is heavy, and it is reasonable to want support of your own. 1737 answers at any hour and takes calls from anyone in New Zealand, not only from the person in crisis. If the person you are worried about is a child or a young person, Youthline takes calls from people supporting them.

For services in other countries, see the list of helplines and suicide hotlines worldwide.

BACK TO TOP