Suicide remains a serious public health issue in Flanders. Every day, nearly three people die by suicide, and many more attempt it or struggle with suicidal thoughts. The Zelfmoordlijn 1813 is a free and confidential helpline that offers support to people in crisis through phone, chat, and email. In 2024, volunteers had over 23,000 conversations, including nearly 3,000 via chat.

This study, led by the Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (VLESP) in collaboration with the Centre for Suicide Prevention (CPZ), aims to better understand how people experience the chat service of the Zelfmoordlijn 1813. While previous research has looked at the impact of phone conversations, little is known about how chat conversations affect suicidal thoughts and feelings.

To explore this, people who contact the chat service will be invited to fill out a short questionnaire before and after their conversation. These questionnaires take about 3 minutes each and are completely voluntary. They ask about feelings like hopelessness, crisis, and perceived support, as well as satisfaction with the chat.

The goal is to improve the quality of chat-based crisis support and ensure that people in emotional distress receive the best possible help. This research will help strengthen suicide prevention efforts in Flanders.

Inclusion Criteria:

• being at least 16 years of age
• they are chatting on their own behalf (not for someone else)

Exclusion Criteria:

• indication that they do not meet these criteria or are not interested in the study

Participants contact the chat service of the helpline Zelfmoordlijn 1813 regarding their suicidality. Participants in the study are recruited via the Zelfmoordlijn 1813's digital chat system. Only chat-users for whom an operator is available at that moment are given the opportunity to participate in the study.