Home / Health / Nova Scotia Crisis Line Sees Huge Call Surge
Nova Scotia Crisis Line Sees Huge Call Surge
6 Jun
Summary
- Mental health crisis line calls increased 65% in five years.
- Mobile crisis team deployment rose significantly during the same period.
- The province attributes increased calls partly to greater awareness.
Nova Scotia's mental health and addictions crisis line has seen a substantial rise in call volumes over the past several years. Data from Nova Scotia Health reveals a 65% increase in calls between the fall and winter seasons over a five-year period, comparing 16,101 calls in the most recent period to 9,749 in 2020-21.
Simultaneously, the mobile crisis team, which provides in-person support within the Halifax region from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., was deployed 515 times during the recent period, up from 394 interventions in 2020-21. This team comprises crisis interveners and specially trained police officers.
Officials suggest that while holiday periods can naturally see an uptick in reach-outs due to factors like financial stress and loneliness, a "very conscious effort" to promote public and professional awareness of these services may also be contributing significantly to the increased demand. The crisis line aims to manage call volumes effectively, with shifts staggered for 24-hour coverage and average wait times for caller connection to staff being just over a minute.
