San Diego teens have contacted the national hotline, Teen Line 4,000 times since January according to Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, the organization that runs the hotline.
Teen Line is a peer-to-peer youth mental health hotline. Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services in Los Angeles trains teen listeners to answer calls, texts, and emails from other teens across the country.
“Teens' voices can easily be, like, dismissed because, like, they're just a kid, or the parents are like, we know better, or why are you sad?” said Sydney, a Teen Line volunteer from San Diego. “But I think it's important to really listen to them and give them a chance to express themselves, understand that their struggles are real.”
KPBS is only using Sydney’s first name to protect her identity from callers. It’s part of the organization’s safety practice.
A 2024 student-led report found nearly 8 in 10 San Diego County teens said they would only seek help if they felt their problems were valid and many turn to friends, or no one at all, before contacting a professional.
New data from Teen Line show that calls about suicide rose from 13% in 2024 to 17% this year. The data also show a higher percentage of San Diego teens who called the hotline and said anxiety and stress were among their primary concerns this year compared to last year.
Teen Line Senior Director Cheryl Eskin said the program works best in the space between what teens feel and what adults hear.
“I think there is a huge power in being able to talk to someone who goes to high school as well, knows what it's like to be inundated with TikTok, or grew up in a generation of shooter drills, and, you know, political uncertainty,” Eskin said.
Every volunteer listener completes 65 hours of training in active listening, empathy, and topics like suicide, sexual assault, and abuse.
Sydney, who drives from San Diego to Los Angeles up to four times a month to take calls, says loneliness is one of the most common themes she hears. One she understands from personal experience.
“I also dealt with, like, mental health challenges, and also had, like, chronic health issues, where there are many times where I did feel alone and feel like I couldn't talk about my issues,” she said.
The program promotes the hotline on social media and at school events. This year, Teen Line expects to handle 10,000 conversations nationwide, about 1,200 more than last year.
“I just hope to create, like, a safe space for them to share,” Sydney said.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting the number 9-8-8.
Teen Line is operated from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. PST, contact them by calling, 800-852-8336, texting “Teen” to 839863 or emailing here.
