Objective: To examine recent change of hotline counselling services in Shanghai. Method: 1000 callers in 1995 and 1305 callers in 1999 were compared with respect to their personal backgrounds, presenting problems, and intervention methods, etc. Results: While psychiatric disorders constituted the major proportion of cases for hotline counselling (36.1% in 1999), emotional problems showed a fast growing trend from 20.3% in 1995 to 31.5% in 1999. Conclusion: The change in the major problems presented for hotline counselling in Shanghai has been in keeping with the characteristics of social development, as well as the nature of hotline services.
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