Year: 1975 Source: British Medical Journal, (September 1975), p.751-752 SIEC No: 19820579

The short-term effect of “The Befrienders” – an 11 episode weekly series on B.B.C. 1 portraying the Samaritans as a suicide prevention service – on suicide and undetermined deaths was monitored in Edinburgh. No preventive effect was observed though the series was associated with a dramatic rise in new client referrals to the Edinburgh branch of the Samaritans.