The number of support requests Kids Help Phone receives at night is increasing across Canada, the e-mental health support service said
Demands for reach-outshigher than those received during the day, Kids Help Phone said in a news release
A 24 per cent increase in overnight requests for help was also reported in the first six months of this year, when compared to last, it said
The six-month data included information as of June 30
“I say it’s a canary in the coal mine time,” Rebecca Shields, president and CEO at Kids Help Phone, told Global News
Shields said Kids Help Phone receives a crisis text every 90 seconds
“Young people are reaching out for a range of issues. Our top issues always remain stress and anxiety, and that’s related [to] a whole host of things that young people are facing. It could be school stress. It could be looking at the jobs of the future,” she continued.
Shields said many of the people reaching out have relationship-related concerns — whether they are dealing with issues with their friends, or in familial or romantic relationships
Depression and hopelessness are also common concerns from people contacting Kids Help Phone, its CEO said. She cited stressors, including geopolitical events and concerns about affordability as they age into adulthood, as contributing factors
“Sadly, our fourth top issue still remains thoughts of suicide and crisis calls.”
Overnight requests from province to province
Kids Help Phone said the rate at which the overnight texts are increasing varies from province to province
The highest increase was reported in Yukon, at 64 per cent
The other territories, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, reported 17 per cent and 25 per cent upticks, respectively
Overnight demand spiked in Prince Edward Island, where it went up by 59 per cent. Newfoundland and Labrador rose by 12 per cent and Nova Scotia by 26 per cent the number of overnight requests spiked by 49 per cent
Ontario saw a 27 per cent increase, and in Quebec, the demand rose by 10 per cent, Kids Help Phone said
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In Manitoba, the number of contacts made to the organization increased by 30 per cent
Dr. Jo Ann Unger, a clinical psychologist with Shared Health in Manitoba, said an increase in calls to the mental health service is a manifestation of current events, mixed with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth mental health
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“A lot of kids have had trouble coming back to school. Vacancy rates in school have been lower than pre-pandemic time periods. So, we have all these events coming together at the same time leading to youth calling for help. They’re calling for help from us,” Unger said, adding that “we need to answer this call.”
Saskatchewan saw a 36 per cent increase, and Albertan calls went up by 29 per cent
Alberta’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction said the province “has made record investments in expanding youth mental health and addiction services to reach young Albertans,” in an email statement to Global News
It pointed to the various supports it offers, including 211 Alberta
“By creating one simple access point [211 Alberta], we are making it easier for Albertans of all ages to access timely and appropriate services,” the ministry continued.
Kids Help Phone said British Columbia had a 49 per cent rise in contact
In a statement emailed to Global News, the B.C. Ministry of Health said young people who are struggling with their mental health must be met with compassion
“Our focus continues to be on early intervention and prevention, so we can stop small problems from becoming bigger down the road. That’s why we’re expanding Foundry centres, Integrated Child and Youth teams, and substance use beds across the province,” the statement added
The province has 15 Foundry centres in development, according to the health ministry. These facilities provide free services to help support mental health and wellness for people aged 12-24
Why are kids texting for help at night?
Overnight, youths are reaching out for help more frequently than during daytime hours
Its CEO said the increase may be related to the busy daytime schedules many children face. Young people have school, extracurriculars, and social lives to manage, and some teenagers also work, Shields noted
“At night, that might be the only time that they actually get a chance to start to think about the things that are occurring around them, but it’s also a time that nobody else is awake and no other re
“They can start to really ruminate or it can come head at night and that’s when they need to reach out for support, sometimes just to talk about it. Sometimes, to be the first time they share something.”
More than three-quarters of callers or texters tell Kids Help Phone something they had never previously shared, Shields added
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Kids Help Phone sees surging overnight demand for mental health support
Anjana Sudharshan, the national youth council co-chair and a board member with Kids Help Phone, said she believes the overnight increase may also have something to do with people’s scrolling habits after dark
“[Night is] the only time you get for yourself, but at the same time, I think what we’re faced with that other generations didn’t have is your phone. A lot of my peers report [that] they want to get that time back for themselves.
“They end up putting that in their phone and doomscrolling — and then they’re up the whole entire night.”
Doomscrolling is a compulsive habit of spending excessive time scrolling through negative or distressing news and social media content — even when it makes you feel sad, anxious, or stressed — driven by a subconscious urge to stay informed or feel in control
Sudharshan said doomscrolling all night may impact sleep, which can affect mental health
“Your phone might literally be the only thing in that room. And whether that is positive or negative really depends on the individual’s experience, and so I think there is a gap there in terms of support for young people when they’re alone at night,” Sudharshan continued
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Sudharshan said she once contacted Kids Help Phone for a friend who needed help at night as she “didn’t really know who to turn to.”
“Kids Help Phone was there to support a bridge and help provide me with the assistance I needed to guide my approach in helping that peer.”
Shared Health’s psychologist, Dr. Ungar, cautioned parents from blanket-banning cellphones from their kids’ rooms at bedtime
“It is a really individual situation because we don’t know what’s happening before they’re making the call [to Kids Help Phone] on their device. So, if they’re scrolling online and they’re seeing things that are upsetting, it may actually be beneficial for their phone not to be in the room because it could be a contributing factor to that call out for help,” Unger said.
“It may also be a lifeline in those moments when maybe they’re alone and it’s quiet and their thoughts are spiralling.”
Her recommendation for parents who are helping their kids navigate mental health struggles was to speak with their kids
From there, the doctor said to form a plan for crisis situations, as well as the moments when negative or anxious thoughts begin forming
Kids Help Phone operates 24/7 across Canada in multiple languages
Kids and teens can call 1-800-668-6868, text “CONNECT” to 686868, or messaging a crisis responder on their website.
If you identify as Indigenous, you can ask to be connected with a First Nations, Inuk or Métis crisis responder (if one’s available) by messaging FIRST NATIONS, INUIT or METIS to 686868
