There’s been a sharp increase in the number of youths in the Maritimes reaching out to Kids Help Phone.
“What we’ve seen, and specifically in Nova Scotia, is a 20 per cent increase in conversations about suicide and suicide ideation, and 57 per cent from young people from P.E.I.,” said Jenny Yuen with Kids Help Phone.
That increase was seen in 2024. Yuen said there seems to be two main factors behind the spike.
“I think the world is more complex, right? Especially with social media, we’re definitely seeing that young people are consuming the world in real time, so that really contributes to anxiety and stress and just a sense of hopelessness,” said Yuen.
“Then you layer that on top of how challenging it is to grow up overall.”
IWK’s Mental Health and Addictions Program, along with its central intake, are connected with Kids Help Phone.
“These are numbers that we’re keeping track of and ensuring that if those youth actually require an increased intensity of services, they come to us for that, so there’s a nice balance between the services there,” said Sabina Abidi, the associate chief of the IWK’s Department of Psychiatry.
The last time the IWK’s Mental Health and Addictions Program saw a spike in demand was during the pandemic. Since then, Abidi said the need has not dropped, but it has remained steady.
“In response to the increased demand that we saw a few years ago, we’ve expanded our services as well. So, for example, with central intake we now have expanded our services to after hours and weekends,” said Abidi.
For parents, it’s important to keep an open dialogue with their children when it comes to mental health, and to get support when needed.
“A lot of times, maybe even 30 to 50 per cent of the time, someone who’s actively suicidal will not tell you about their suicidality,” said clinical psychology Simon Sherry.
“It’s good to get to a professional in a confidential setting where someone could talk more openly and honestly about the difficulties they are facing.”
Sherry said there are a few “red flags” to watch out for, including sleep disturbance, extreme withdrawal, or agitation, but overall it is challenging to spot the signs.
“There are no really good empirical predictors of when somebody’s going to die by suicide,” he said.
“The best ways to prevent suicide right now involves society-wide changes.”
Yuen said kids often want to get help, but they don’t know how to start the conversation with someone they’re close to.
“I think as parents and trusted adults, you want to jump in and solve everything. It’s really about giving them space to express how they feel and also recognizing that it has to be on their time,” she said.
While the recent spike in youth seeking help for suicidal ideation may seem jarring, Yuen said there is a silver lining.
“They’ve had a place to reach out to, so they are finding a safe space. They are reaching out to our crisis responders and our counsellors who can work with them on safety plans and what it means to find support in their community,” she said.
Numbers for New Brunswick were not yet available.
For youth in need, Kids Help Phone is available 24/7 by calling 1-800-668-6868, texting 686868, or through its online messaging portal.
