This is the No. 1 Topic Driving Teens to Reach Out to the National Crisis Text Line, According to Its Chief Health Officer

Since its creation in 2013 as the first text-only hotline, the national nonprofit Crisis Text Line has supported over 11 million conversations, 24/7, with people battling loneliness, depression, anxiety, or isolation — 70% of whom are under the age of 25.

“We definitely skew towards Gen Z, because they’re digital natives,” says chief health officer Dr. Shairi Turner, a trauma-informed pediatrician. “Everyone is texting, so we really appeal to those who prefer a digital mode of support that is still human-to-human connection — which I think is really key, because we’ve evolved into this space of AI chat bots, which are not human-to-human connection.”

It’s no surprise that young people are struggling mentally, as it’s a well-reported, ongoing crisis fueled by the constant clip of society’s challenges, from social media addiction to tragic world events.

But what, exactly, are young people reaching out for support about? The answer is grim.

“Teens are texting about suicide,” says Turner. “That is the number one topic of conversation during their texts, sadly, with relationship stress, anxiety, bullying, and just general stress sort of coming in after that.”

According to the Jed Foundation, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens and young adults ages 10-34, and about 20.4% of high school students reported having seriously considered suicide in the past year. 

Still, what’s most alarming to Turner about the Crisis Text Line’s data is that the younger teens — those under the age of 14 — are more apt to mention suicide than the older teens.

“We know that teens in general are talking about suicide. But then when we broke down the data, about 37% were under the age of 14,” she says. “And and that that was up a bit from 2024. So, for suicide to have elevated to top of the list at this point is really distressing.”

How Texting for Support Can Help

Sometimes parents (including yours truly) have trouble understanding why kids prefer texting over speaking — especially when they’re having conflict with their friends, for example, and you want to tell them, “Just pick up the phone and speak!” But that’s our instinct, not theirs, says Turner.

“For them, they are digital natives. They are very comfortable texting. Texting is like, their primary language, while picking up the phone is a secondary language. And that is just the the way of the world for them, because they’ve been raised with phones,” she says. “So it’s very rare, if at all, that anyone says, ‘Can you connect me to a person?'” Further, whereas adults might be bothered by the lack of tone in a text, “for a young person, they don’t necessarily want to hear tone,” especially when they’re in crisis. “There’s no judgment in a text. It’s all very simple.”

Counselors, in turn, are trained to deliver empathy through written words — by emphasizing and validating to show they’re engaging in active listening through the text, no matter what the issue is.

“We don’t gate keep,” she says. “You don’t have to be on the brink of suicide. You can just be struggling getting through your homework.”

It’s how the Crisis Text Line (or other support hotlines), she says, can be particularly helpful, as it can be used on a “continuum.” A counselor can help a teen with something that may appear small but is large to them — a relationship issue at school, for example — and, in the process, help them develop coping strategies from the conversation, rather than letting cumulative stresses build.

“It’s that safe space to start with something while it’s small, before it gets to the point of true crisis with suicide or suicidal thoughts. Because suicide is very impulsive, and the urge can come and go in seconds,” she says. “So, it’s important to get at it early and help to build up those those skills early, in a preventative manner.”

Signs of Crisis that Parents Should Look Out For

“Parents should understand that distress is not always very visible. So knowing your child is critical,” advises Turner, who notes that you can have two children in the same household, both with distress, but presenting in two different ways.

Then be aware of any changes — in interest level regarding activities, in sleep habits, eating habits, willingness to engage in conversations, and social life.

“Those are just some of the things. If your child does a swing in behavior in some way, it’s time to talk,” she says, suggesting parents start setting the stage for such conversations much earlier, whether it’s asking about school or what music they’re listening to lately.

Then, Turner encourages parents not to try to fix situations, “but really go into the active listening like we do for our texters,” hearing your teen out and then asking them to offer up some of their own suggestions for any given situation. “Then listen and and be vulnerable,” which may include sometimes sharing your own stresses from the day, and how you handled them. “So when you knock on that door when they do look like something serious is happening, it’s not the first time you’re knocking on the door asking, ‘What’s going on?'”

If you or someone you love is struggling and needs support, reach out to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.