(Matthew Kupfer/ CBC News) — 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 cent increase over the same period last year.
According to the crisis line, that increase in volume places the capital behind only Victoria among Canadian cities.
Alisa Simon, 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 disconnect from those who are their regular support network,” Simon said. (…)