Kids Help Phone will be offering their live chat service 24/7 in Canada by the end of 2018, as more youth turn to counsellors through instant messaging rather than over the phone.
B次元官网网址淸WeB次元官网网址檝e been] doing about half of our service through phone and half through live chat,B次元官网网址� chief youth officer Alisa Simon said.
The nationwide youth counselling service started the online instant-messaging option for 40 hours a week in 2013, after seeing more young people wanting to reach out B次元官网网址渨ith their fingers instead of their voice,B次元官网网址� she said.
The response was huge. B次元官网网址淭hey were reaching out with really serious concerns B次元官网网址� a lot of conversations about suicide, abuse and neglect.B次元官网网址�
So many youth prefer instant messaging because of the increased sense of anonymity, Simon said, and because they arenB次元官网网址檛 comfortable speaking about their problem and can review the conversation.
Simon said round-the-clock service, thanks to a $1-million donation by the Royal Bank of Canada, will especially help youth in B.C., who could only use it until 11 p.m. previously.
B次元官网网址淲hat we found was that a lot of youth were coming to the chat service when it would be closed,B次元官网网址� Simon said. But those kids wouldnB次元官网网址檛 necessarily call the 24/7 phone line.
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In 2017, eight per cent of the instant messaging sessions at Kids Help Phone came from B.C. B次元官网网址� a number anticipated to increase.
Kids in Canada are most likely to reach out to counsellors with issues of anxiety. Suicide is often the third most common issue in other provinces, but itB次元官网网址檚 the second most common in B.C. More youth here also speak out on abuse than in the rest of the country.
B次元官网网址淭he good news is that every time those young people reach out to us, we have a moment where weB次元官网网址檙e able to save their lives,B次元官网网址� Simon said. B次元官网网址淭he courage that it takes those young people to reach out in those really dark moments is really important to us.B次元官网网址�
Youth can visit to chat with a counsellor, or call 1-800-668-6868.
If you or anyone you know needs support for depression or suicide-related mental health problems, call the Canadian Assistance in Suicide Prevention 24/7 hotline at 1-888-353-2273.
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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