Pandemic driving more young people to seek mental health help

Clinics and other resources that help young people in Ottawa deal with mental health issues say they've noticed a significant spike in demand for their services since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.

Kids Help Phone says calls and texts from young people in Ottawa have more than doubled since schools closed for the holidays on Dec. 18, representing a 110 per centincrease over the same period last year.

According to the crisis line, that increase in volume places the capital behind only Victoria among Canadian cities.

AlisaSimon, the charitable organization's chief youth officer and senior vice-president for service innovation, blames the rapid changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"One of the big challenges for all of us, but particularly young people, is dealing with isolation and potentially dealing with disconnectfrom those who are their regular support network," Simon said.

Kids Help Phone received4.2 million calls and messages in 2020, compared to 1.8 million the year before.

'They come in at crisis'

CHEO, eastern Ontario's children's hospital in Ottawa, is reporting a 20 to 30 per cent spike in mental health referrals since the pandemic began. Someinvolvesuicide attempts and self-harm, according to mental health nurse Sarah Hendry.

"They come in at crisis," Hendry said. "They are at their most vulnerable state."

"The lack of the same routine that kids are used to, the lack of access to peers in person, those are all contributing factors that we hear all the time when kids and physicians are reaching out for services," said Joanne Lowe, vice-president ofmental health and addictions at CHEO.

Lowe saidbecause of the pandemic, some families are hesitating to seek the help they need.

"There's some people who are waiting longer than they might have typically outside of a pandemic to ask for help."

Eating disorder clinics also seeing surge

CHEO's eating disorder unit has seen a 63 per cent increase in in-patients during the pandemic, Lowe said. She said the hospitalhas received funding to boost staffing in that department.

CHEO iscurrently on the hunt foreight more mental health nurses, one-quarter of its baseline staff, to handle the demand.

Nick Heisler, volunteer president at Ottawa's Hopewell Eating Disorder Support Centre, said demand for its services has also skyrocketed since March.

That includes parents who are concerned about changes in their child's eating habits and are reaching out with questions.

Hopewell normally provides eight group support sessions a year, with just under 100spots. During the pandemic, that grew to 12 virtual support groupsand an art therapy program with a total of 160 spots.

Heisler said his organizationneeds more volunteers, especially people with lived experience ofthe condition, to respond to inquiries from the community.

"We are at capacity," he said. "Our volunteers have really stepped up and they've really worked really hard, but we can't do more with what we have and the demand is definitely there."

Need help? Here are some mental health resources:

• Kids Help Phone:1-800-668-6868
• Youth Services Bureau Crisis Line:613-260-2360
• Ottawa Mental Health Crisis Line: 613-722-6914,1-866-996-0991 if outside Ottawa
• Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region: 613-238-3311
• Association qubcoise de prvention du suicide: 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553)