Teen Line, a program of Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, trains young people to be the first line of support for their peers in crisis. Selected teens undergo 65 hours of training in group settings, learning about active listening, empathy, and specific topics including suicide, child abuse, and LGBTQ issues. After training, the teens answer emails, texts, and calls from other young people seeking help.
Senior program director Cheryl Eskin notes that teens feel more comfortable opening up to other teens, who understand their language, cultural references, music, and expressions. Although the organization’s services have been around for 40 years, they have seen an increase in the number of callers and are on track to support 10,000 young people this year. Over 50% of teens report that family, friend, and romantic relationships are the main reason they reach out, with increases in relationship contacts and loneliness.
CDC data from 2023 shows that 4 in 10 (40%) students had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, 2 in 10 (20%) seriously considered attempting suicide, and nearly 1 in 10 (9%) attempted suicide. Teen Line receives calls from youths internationally—including Tanzania, the U.K., Japan, and China—with similar struggles. Notably, callers are getting younger, with some as young as 11, 12, and 13 years old. Eskin suggests that earlier access to phones may play a role, but mental health concerns themselves may also be starting earlier.
Volunteers like Ela Orengo, a high school senior who has been with Teen Line since her freshman year, find meaning in the work. After one call where a teen shared suicidal feelings, the conversation ended with the caller giggling and saying she felt better. Teen Line can be reached at 800-852-8336 or by texting “teen” to 839863.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/southern-california/health/2025/08/26/teen-mental-health-