A significant number of young Canadians struggle with thoughts of suicide. Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth revealed that 13% of 14- and 15-year-olds reported having seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Similar findings emerged from the most recent BC Adolescent Health Survey which found 17% of respondents reported seriously considering killing themselves in the past year.

Identifying and responding to youth who have thoughts of suicide is critical since about one-third will make a suicide attempt within a year. Services immediately available to children and youth in BC who are struggling with thoughts of suicide include the following:

• YouthInBC.com provides assistance from a crisis responder 24 hours a day by phone (1-800-784-2433 or 604-872-3311 for youth in Greater Vancouver) and online chatting from noon to 1 a.m. through their website: youthinbc.com.

• Kids Help Phone provides support from a professional counsellor 24 hours a day by phone (1-800-668-6868) or from a crisis responder by text (686868) or via Facebook Messenger through their website: kidshelpphone.ca. Young people can be connected with First Nations, Inuit or Métis crisis responders.

• Youth Space provides support from trained volunteers from 6 p.m. to midnight by chat through their website (youthspace.ca) or by text (778-783-0177).

For more information, see Vol. 16, No. 4 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.