The Canadian charity Kids Help Phone, which provides psychological support to young people, has reported a sharp increase in the number of contacts made at night. In particular, this refers to calls and text messages from children and teenagers seeking help with their mental health, including anxiety, stress, relationships, depression and suicidal thoughts.
According to the service, demand for night-time text counselling has risen overall by around 24 per cent compared with last year. In Ontario, the increase is even more noticeable — about 27 per cent. The organisation expects a further surge in contacts in September, when the school year begins, and has therefore launched an urgent fundraising campaign to ensure that support remains available.
Aaron Sanderson, president and chief executive officer of the Kids Help Phone Foundation, explained that the night-time period is now the most intense for the service: the number of contacts between 20:00 and 8:00 is roughly 183 per cent higher than during the day, and this figure continues to grow. According to him, young people are living in difficult conditions — under constant exposure to digital technologies, information flows and other stress factors such as natural disasters.
Sanderson also notes that the situation is being changed to some extent by a reduction in the stigma around mental health, which means more young people are daring to seek support. On average, Kids Help Phone receives a new text request every 90 seconds around the clock, and for many this is their first experience of talking about their difficulties. According to the organisation, 70 per cent of those who get in touch have never discussed their problems with anyone before.
To expand night-time capacity for counsellors, the Kids Help Phone Foundation has announced an urgent fundraising appeal. Providing an extra incentive for donors, the J&W Murphy Foundation has pledged to match contributions up to a total of $250,000 until 11 September.