By Tommy Osborne

Crisis hotline

Doherty’s 9-8-8 suicide crisis hotline makes huge impact

Jun 21, 2024 | 4:49 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The 9-8-8 suicide crisis hotline ushered in by Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty has had a large impact on thousands of Canadians since it was launched. From its launch day of November 30, 2023, to April 30, 2024, more than 180,000 calls and texts have been fielded nationally, with close to 20,000 of those being from B.C.

“This could be the most influential thing that he (Doherty) does, really anybody does in Parliament for a long, long time,” said College of New Caledonia Political Science Instructor Chris Beach.

“There’s a lot of laws passed in Parliament, but this one has the potential to be extremely influential. This could affect thousands, millions of Canadians, really, if you look decades into the future.” Beach continued.

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A suicide crisis hotline existed prior to the 9-8-8 line, but the value of an easy to remember, quickly accessible line can’t be understated.

“If you’re in distress, the last thing that you’re going to be doing is looking around for a number. 9-8-8 is easy to remember, so that’s one less barrier that someone has to go through to get help and support,” said 9-8-8 Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allison Crawford.

“This is a line that’s available nationally 24/7 for people, who can pick up the phone at any time that they need support and we’re there for them,” added Northern B.C. Crisis Centre Program Coordinator Erin Rinsdale.

Accessibility can be a huge road block for many who need mental health support, and for areas like Northern B.C. a support line that you can call at any time is essential

“There’s areas and pockets of Canada that don’t have a high population. Therefore, the resources and the allocation of resources or money isn’t being reached to those communities. So something as (simple) as picking up of your cell phone and reaching out can definitely save a life,” Rinsdale said.

While the 9-8-8 line has definitely seen a tremendous impact in terms of potential lives saved, Crawford pointed out that the fact it’s seen so many calls also points to the need for more mental health supports across the board.

“Rates of mental health distress are increasing. They’ve increased, some estimates say, up to 30% in terms of rates of anxiety and depression over the last ten years,” Crawford said.

The 9-8-8 line is certainly a large step in the right direction towards improving mental health, but Crawford hopes more is done in other areas.

“There’s a lot of really important work going on in youth mental health. I think people recognize that that’s a huge priority. And we’ve just seen a huge investment by the federal government in youth mental health, a huge investment in terms of 9-8-8. But also, older adults need increased supports. We need supports across the range,” Crawford said.

The 9-8-8 line is open 24/7 for both calling and texting, and with more than 40 support workers ready to receive your call the line is open whenever you need someone to talk to. You can learn more about the line through its website here.

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