Surge in overnight calls to Kids Help Phone 'a canary in the coal mine,' CEO says

Canada's Kids Help Phone is experiencing a dramatic increase in overnight support requests, particularly via text message, signaling a growing mental health crisis among young people. The e-mental health service reported that demand for text outreach between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. is 183% higher than during daytime hours.

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I say it’s a canary in the coal mine time.

Overall, overnight requests for help rose by 24% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year. Rebecca Shields, president and CEO of Kids Help Phone, characterized this trend as a "canary in the coal mine," indicating serious underlying issues. The organization receives a crisis text every 90 seconds.

Shields noted that young people are reaching out for a variety of reasons, with stress and anxiety remaining the top concerns. These issues are linked to numerous factors, including academic pressure and anxieties about future employment. Relationship problems, encompassing friendships, family, and romantic connections, are also frequently cited.

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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.

Depression and hopelessness are common themes among those contacting Kids Help Phone. Shields pointed to broader stressors such as geopolitical events and concerns about affordability as they approach adulthood. Alarmingly, thoughts of suicide and crisis calls remain the fourth most common issue reported.

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Sadly, our fourth top issue still remains thoughts of suicide and crisis calls.

The increase in overnight demand varies across Canadian provinces and territories. Yukon reported the highest spike at 64%, followed by Prince Edward Island (59%) and New Brunswick (49%). Other regions also saw significant upticks, including Saskatchewan (36%), Manitoba (30%), Ontario (27%), and Nova Scotia (26%). Dr. Jo Ann Unger, a clinical psychologist in Manitoba, suggested that the rise in calls reflects a confluence of current events and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth mental health, urging a collective response to these calls for help.

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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.