Resources for adolescent and family mental health support
This week on 60 Minutes, Sharyn Alfonsi reported on the harmful effects social media can have on adolescents across the U.S. If you or someone you know needs help, the following resources are available:
HOTLINES
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a US-based suicide prevention network available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. More than 200 crisis centers provide 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline.
Call 988 or 800-273-TALK (8255)
Crisis Text Line
The Crisis Text Line serves people across the United States experiencing any type of crisis and provides free, 24/7 emotional support and information through text message. A live, trained specialist will receive the text and respond, all from a secure online platform.
Text HOME to 741741
https://www.crisistextline.org/
Trevor Lifeline
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and support for lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25. Users can speak to a crisis counselor 24/7 from anywhere in the U.S., and all connections are free and confidential.
Call 866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
Boys Town National Hotline
Boys Town helps all children (including girls) and families, regardless of a person's background, race, or religion. The Boys Town National Hotline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and staffed by specially trained counselors. Parents, teens, and families can find help with a range of issues including abuse, anger, depression, school issues, bullying, caring for a child in crisis, and treating complex health care conditions.
Spanish-speaking counselors and translation services for more than 100 languages also are available 24 hours a day. The speech- and hearing-impaired can connect through the email address: hotline@boystown.org
Call 800-448-3000 or text VOICE to 20121
https://www.boystown.org/hotline/Pages/default.aspx
Samaritans 24-Hour Crisis Hotline
Confidential 24/7 hotline for the NYC-Metropolitan area that provides non-religious emotional support for those who feel overwhelmed, depressed or in crisis.
Call 212-673-3000
https://samaritansnyc.org/24-hour-crisis-hotline/
National Eating Disorders Helpline
Support, resources, and treatment options for your or a loved one who is struggling with an eating disorder. Helpline volunteers are trained to help find the support and information you need.
Call 800-931-2237
Monday to Thursday 11am–9pm ET
Friday 11am–5pm ET
Text 800-931-2237
Monday to Thursday 3pm–6pm ET
Friday 1pm–5pm ET
If you are in a crisis and need help immediately, text NEDA to 741741
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline
Teen Line
Teen Line provides support, resources, and hope to young people through a hotline of professionally trained teen counselors, and outreach programs that de-stigmatize and normalize mental health.
Call 800-852-8336
6pm–10pm PST
Text TEEN to 839863
6pm–9pm PST
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR SUPPORT
IMAlive
IMAlive is a live online network that uses instant messaging to respond to people in crisis, giving them a safe place to go during moments of crisis and intense emotional pain. All of its volunteers are trained and certified in crisis intervention.
https://www.imalive.org/online/
notOK App
notOK App® is a free digital panic button to get you immediate support via text, phone call, or GPS location when you're struggling to reach out. The app notifies your trusted contacts that they've been selected as your support group, so when the time comes and you need to reach out, you'll just have to open the app and press the large, red notOK® button.
Active Minds
Active Minds is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting mental health, especially among young adults, via peer-to-peer dialogue and interaction.
StopBullying.gov
StopBullying.gov provides resources for both youth and adults about bullying. It includes information from various government agencies on what bullying is, what cyberbullying is, who is at risk, and how you can prevent and respond to bullying.
Youth Suicide Warning Signs
Youth suicide warning signs from the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and the National Center for the Prevention of Youth Suicide (NCPYS)
https://www.youthsuicidewarningsigns.org/youth
My Life is Worth Living
My Life is Worth Living is the first animated series to address suicide prevention for teens. Some of the topics it tackles include the fear of rejection for being LGBTQ+, living with depression, substance abuse, and fear of disappointing your parents.
https://mylifeisworthliving.org/
Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
The SPTS is dedicated to increasing awareness, saving lives and reducing the stigma of suicide through specialized training programs and resources that empower teens, parents and educational leaders with the skills needed to help youth build a life of resiliency.
Log Off
Log Off is movement dedicated to rethinking social media by youth for youth. The organization is dedicated to lowering social media's impact on mental health, while teaching teenage users and their parents about how to navigate the vast innerworkings of life on social media. They use an array of mediums, such as a website, podcast, blog, and the Character Ed program to further investigate how social media is affecting its adolescent users worldwide.
https://www.logoffmovement.org/
Technically Politics
Tech(nically) Politics is a teen-led movement that collects youth testimonials relating to social media and the impact on adolescents' mental health in order to push forward legislation for regulating social media.