Calls to crisis hotlines soar during pandemic
PHILADELPHIA— Since 2016, MarkTrainer hasworked as a counselor forCrisisText Line, a national nonprofit organization that provides a free mental health texting service for people in crisis. Onany given day, he talks with texters about a “very wide swath of challenges,” including struggles with school and relationships with their family or peers.
But inMarch, the tone of those conversations shifted as the pandemic took hold across the country. Trainer, whois based inBethlehem, Pennsylvania, found himself talking to people whocouldn’t see their therapist due to social distancing measures. They texted him about their struggles getting psychiatric medications renewed. Teens sent messages about howtheir parentswere nowunemployed, leading to more conflict at home, while parents talked about the strain of virtual school.
“The pandemic has exacerbated things for people whowere already struggling withmental health issues, but it’s also brought awholenewgroupwho are struggling to cope that previouslymay have been healthy to the text line,” saidTrainer, 59.
Whilemany public health experts and advocates have raised the alarm aboutCOVID-19’s negative impact on mental health, those effects likelywon’t be quantifiable for another year or so. But the steady increase in people reaching out to crisis hotlines and text lines across the country sends a sobering message about the overall emotional impact of the pandemic.
CrisisText Line reported its highest volume ever inNovember, recording over 180,000 conversations— an increase of 30,000 fromOctober and 78,000 fromSeptember. Nearly four in 10 conversations discussed depression or sadness, and over nine in 10 texterswere age 34 or younger. TheTrevor Project, which focuses on suicide prevention among LGBTQyouth, also saw a significant increase in texters and callers— at times, even doubling the volume beforeCOVID-19, saidRobTodaro, communications manager for the organization. YouthLine, a teen crisis helpline based in Oregon that emphasizes peer-to-peer support, also sawan increase that has continued fromthe beginning of the pandemic.
“We had a big increase at the beginning ofMarch andApril that didn’t really go away,” said EmilyMoser,
YouthLine’s programs director, noting a 35% increase in call volume in 2020. “It spiked and hasn’t stopped.”
Moser saidmany callers are experiencing grief around not being able to do things theywould usually get to do. “And while adults have had multiple years to practice stressmanagement and build skills around that, young people haven’t had that,” she said.
Moser stressed that YouthLine has not seen an increase in teens talking about suicide or suicide ideation, despite the increase in calls.
“We don’t knowwhat’s going to happen,” Moser said. “And it’s important not tomake super scary inferences without more information.”
Local crisis intervention centers that take calls rerouted fromnational hotlines are seeing the same increase. Valley
Creek Crisis Center in Chester County, Pennsylvania, experienced a “very extreme increase” in calls starting inMay, said SonjaKenny, supervisor of the center. The increase peaked inOctober, and while the number of calls has since dipped, it remains high, she said.
“The nature of the calls continue to be associated with losses, like job loss, and loneliness and isolation,” Kenny said. “And there are a lot of barriers to accessing services in the community at every level, which means a lot of things fall on us. For example, when someone can’t get toashelteror a food bank, they’remore likely to go into crisiswhen that’s happening.”
That’swhatDaeZone Jenkinswanted to address when she set upNew JerseyCOVIDRelief, Inc., a nonprofit that provides struggling familieswith essential items, such as food and clothing, aswell as monetary assistance for rent and groceries. Jenkins set up a 24/7 support line to help peoplewhoare experiencing emotional difficulties after interacting on
Reddit with people in crisis.
“I couldn’t sleep because Iwas constantly responding to comments and emails frompeople just pouring their hearts out,” said Jenkins, 29. “I realized that there needed to be a place where people can reach out at three in the morning, four in the morning. Everyone’s needs aren’t always financial, sometimes people just need a listening ear.”
Isolation is another factor that has affected mental health, Trainer said. The number one thing he encourages people he talks to is to figure out away to abate their isolation.
“Isolation is theworst because it forces us to figure everything out on our own,” he said. “When we try to do that, we get into our own heads and sit there and suffer. Whenwe reach out to other people, it takes us outside of ourselves, sowe can learn fromother people and feel understood.”
Moser said thatmany teenswhoreach out to YouthLine talk about how lonely and isolated they feel, aswell as the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.
“The biggest thingwe can do for them right now is to model what it means to be mentally healthy and have tough conversations around howthey’re feeling, howhard this is for them, and howyou, as an adult, can help,” she said.
AlthoughTrainer recognizes that mental health hasworsened formany, he said that theway teens are willing to talk openly about their struggles is encouraging.
“The stigma has been reduced,” Trainer said. “People are more open and proactive in reaching out for help. The thingswe can do to keep ourselves healthy have gained a tremendous amount of visibility. Life isn’t always easy andwe’re realizing that we all struggle, andwe can help each other.”
“The stigma has been reduced. People aremore open and proactive in reaching out for help. The thingswe can do to keep ourselves healthy have gained a tremendous amount of visibility.”
— Mark Trainer, a counselor for national nonprofit Crisis Text Line