The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Male-Care Hotline receives the most calls during the evening rush hour, officials said yesterday.
The ministry said the hotline was established on June 23, 2004 and is operated by the Taiwan Transactional Analysis Association.
The toll-free number (0800-013-999) provides free consultation services exclusively for men from 9am to 11pm daily, it said.
The service has helped more than 200,000 men in its 13 years, providing professional consultation, legal advice, or referring them to helpful resources, the ministry said.
Association secretary-general Chiu Hui-hui (邱慧輝) said the majority of callers are married men aged between 31 and 50, with the most common issue being marital problems, followed by emotional and legal issues.
Approximately 35 percent of callers say they have been accused of domestic violence and were given the hotline at counseling sessions, Chiu said, adding that some would call the hotline for help when they found themselves losing control of their emotions.
The hotline’s peak period is from 6pm to 9pm, because many men call after work, but before they arrive home to talk about stress at work or in their family life, Chiu said.
Sometimes they feel relieved after talking about the problems and avoid venting their emotions at home, she said.
Among 18,239 calls last year, 66 percent were from men aged from 31 to 50, association supervisor Chang Hsuan-hui (張宣慧) said.
Chang said the hotline received a call from a high-earning married man whose wife is a stay-at-home mother.
The couple often fight about how they spend money and discipline their two children, Chang said, adding that sometimes they shout at each other or throw things.
The man told the hotline that his wife “did not understand him and that he was being used as a cash dispenser,” but after talking with specialists, he began to change the way he communicated with her, such as saying: “I am a little worried that our expenditure will exceed our budget” instead of: “Where did you spend all the money?” Chang said.
Department of Mental and Oral Health Director Shen Lih-jong (諶立中) said that men are not always as strong as their gender stereotype and they should not have to act tough all the time.
If men need someone to talk to or if people notice men who might benefit from consultation, they should call the hotline for assistance, Shen said.
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