Kids Help Phone overnight texting surges 24 percent as young people reach out for mental health support

Kids Help Phone is reporting a 24 percent jump in overnight texting compared to last year, with overnight now accounting for 183 percent higher volume than daytime requests. The surge has brought texting to an all-time high for the organization, and Aaron Sanderson, president and CEO of Kids Help Phone Foundation, says the trend will likely intensify when school starts in September.

Young people reaching out overnight cite anxiety, stress, relationship challenges, depression and suicide risk. "Overnight is already our busiest time," Sanderson said. "We're at sort of at an all-time high for our texting service." Kids Help Phone defines overnight as any contact between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Sanderson attributes the surge to multiple pressures young people face — the 24/7 digital cycle, wildfires affecting communities, and the complexity of growing up today. He also noted a positive shift: less stigma around reaching out for mental health support. "We have to maintain that it is hopeful that these young people are reaching out to us for support and that we're there and able to respond to their requests."

The organization receives a new text conversation roughly every 90 seconds, day and night. Seventy percent of young people who contact them have never discussed their struggles with anyone before. "We often that first place that a young person might reach out," Sanderson said.

Kids Help Phone Foundation has launched an urgent fundraising appeal to expand overnight clinical capacity. The J&W Murphy Foundation is matching donations up to $250,000 through September 11.