Bell announced Thursday it will focus on the mental health crisis among young Canadians when it launches its next Bell Let’s Talk Day on January 22, 2025.
The telco said it will launch a text-to-donate campaign with 100 per cent of the funds raised going to six youth mental health providers: Integrated Youth Services, Jack.org, Kids Help Phone, National Association of Friendship Centres, Strongest Families Institute, and Youth in Mind Foundation.
Bell will match all donations up to a total of $1 million as part of its $10-million mental health commitment in 2025, it said.
In light of this commitment, Bell’s CEO Mirko Bibic said in a press release: “We have made great progress since we launched Bell Let’s Talk in 2010, and we are proud to continue supporting organizations that are making a difference across Canada.”
The news comes on the heels of a report, also released Thursday, by Mental Health Research Canada showing a growing mental health crisis among young Canadians.
Some report highlights include:
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death: Suicide remains a leading cause of death among young people in Canada, accounting for 21 per cent of deaths; 24 per cent of youth (16-24) report suicidal ideation.
- Priority youth populations: 2SLGBTQI+ communities, newcomers, Black and Indigenous youth have higher rates of poor mental health and experience barriers to accessing care.
- Early onset of mental health conditions: Youth are considered a vulnerable population with approximately 66 per cent to 75 per cent of mental health issues having an onset before the age of 24.
- Self-stigma: While young people are generally comfortable discussing mental health as a broad topic, they are less comfortable discussing their own mental health conditions.
- Unmet mental health needs: Approximately 1.25 million youth in Canada need mental health supports every year. Nearly 3 in 5 (57 per cent) of those youth are not getting the help they need.
- Contributing factors: Mental health issues increased among youth before the pandemic and have worsened since then due to a combination of social disconnection, excessive screen time (6+ hours daily) and socio-economic challenges. In addition, 50 per cent of youth (18-34) feel climate change negatively impacts their mental health.
