As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to deepen, so does the stress and anxiety experienced by many British Columbians.
That all-too-common stress and anxiety has mental health crisis lines ringing off the hook.
“We are seeing a huge rise in the number of calls that we are receiving so we have had (a) 27 per cent difference in October 2020 from October 2019,” Katelin Mitchell told Global News.
Mitchell is the director of services at Kelowna Community Resources which runs the central Okanagan crisis line.
Last month alone, Mitchell says the Central Okanagan Crisis Line fielded over 800 call from people desperate for help.
“They’re in crisis. They’re definitely not just looking to be connected to a local resource, they’re really struggling at that moment in time,” Mitchell said.
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Not only that but according to a study commissioned by the Pacific Blue Cross Health Foundation, the calls’ intensity and duration have both increased.
“On average around 10 per cent of our calls actually are suicide-related calls,” Mitchell admitted.
In Vernon, where the Canadian Mental Health Association runs the crisis line, the increased call volume has more than doubled that of Kelowna’s rise.
“Our calls are 63-per cent higher than they were this time last year,” said Julia Payson, from the Vernon office of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
But while some B.C. residents are increasingly reaching out to crisis lines, the recent survey revealed not everybody knows where to turn in the time of crisis.
“The big surprise for us was that members of the public are not sure where to turn to get support for their mental health challenges,” said Heidi Worthington from Pacific Blue Cross.
The survey showed that 50 per cent of B.C. residents say they don’t know where to access mental health services.
And that revelation has mental health experts reminding people that crisis lines are there for people to call.
“Please reach out — don’t be alone, call. Our callers, they are trained to help,” Mitchell said.
“Just keep reaching out until you find the answers you need because you deserve it,” Payson said.
If you need to talk to someone you can call the Kelowna Community Resources crisis line at 1-888-353-CARE.
In B.C. you can also call 310 Mental Health (310-6789) or 1-800-SUICIDE.
© 2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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