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-outs via text from the hours of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. ET are 183 per cent higher 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.
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.”
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, according to Kids Help Phone. In New Brunswick, 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.
Manitoba, the number of contacts made to the organization increased by 30 per cent.