Brophy Family and Youth Services’ ‘Safe In The South-West’ co-ordinator Lyn Eales said many more people were seeking help from the organisation, and it had set up extra one-on-one consultations.

“There is some disrespectful behaviour and also a little bit more verbal abuse in the street,” she said.

Ms Eales said receiving the survey form in the mail could be confronting.

“We can all have this supposed healthy debate but it’s actually when people are sitting with this survey and being asked to choose ‘am I accepted in the community or am I not?’ – that’s what is bringing people undone,” she said.

She urged people to look after themselves over the course of the survey, which does not close until Tuesday November 7.

“Make sure you pop in for resources and be kind, thoughtful and supportive,” Ms Eales said.

The same-sex marriage postal survey had prompted a surprising number of people to reach out to Brophy to ask how they could help, Ms Eales said.

“There’s also a lovely element of care and concern being shown from the wider community,” she said.