Eye care professionals called the Association of Optometrists’ Peer Support Line 207 times in the past year to discuss their issues.
The service received 1,350 calls since its launch in 2017 and took 17 calls each month with mental health the most popular topic of discussion.
Wendy Steele, commercial director at the AOP, said: ‘No topic is too trivial, and calls can be on any topic the practitioner wishes to discuss, including anxiety, work-related stress, discrimination, bereavement, or financial pressures.’
The AOP highlighted its Peer Support Line service during Mental Health Week (May 15-21), which aimed to tackle the stigma that prevented people from understanding their mental health.