Announced the forthcoming of a free line of crisis psychological help
The short number will be able to call and write messages.
Recently we wrote about the alarming statistics of post-pandemic anxiety and depression among Canadians. On Wednesday, the Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that a new three-digit telephone number available to residents in need of psychological support will be in use by November 30, 2023.
The CRTC said in a statement that there will be a new 988 number for Canadians to call 24/7 for emergency help with an acute mental health crisis. The primary goal of the project is to prevent suicide. In a statement, the CRTC CEO said:
"A single, easy-to-remember contact number will provide much-needed assistance to those in crisis and will be critical to saving lives. While there is a lot of work to be done to help people in need, we have set an accelerated timeline. to ensure that 988 will be implemented as quickly and efficiently as possible."
At the moment such a service exists, but its effectiveness is questionable because of the long ten-digit number, which may not be at hand in times of need. Canadians expressed their disapproval and were heard when an online petition demanding the introduction of a short number gathered tens of thousands of signatures.
The federal health agency has assumed responsibility for determining the range of services to be provided on the line and for assigning the specialists involved in the project.
The federal government reports that between 2017 and 2019, about 4,500 people in Canada died by suicide each year, a rate of 12 deaths per day, with higher rates and risk of suicide among men, youth, people aged 45 to 59, and members of LGBTQ2S+ and some Indigenous communities.
