Mental health supporters are offering tips for parents on what to watch out for and how to support their children as the start of the school year approaches, and along with it, added stress. Kids Help Phone (KHP) said there has been an increase in demand for overnight support across every province and territory in Canada, with a 29-per-cent increase in Alberta in the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. And the spike in texts is expected to be even higher as kids head back to school. “I definitely think a big factor is the start of a school year,” Andi Liu, Kids Help Phone National Youth Council representative, said in an interview on Friday. KHP says they receive a crisis text every 90 seconds, with most of the traffic at night – up 24- per-cent from last year. “You’re usually lonelier at night because everybody’s asleep, so maybe you don’t have anyone to talk to,” Liu said. She suggests talking to your child to find out if they are feeling anxious or if there is something that might be triggering it. “A big one’s definitely feeling anxious about the future,” Liu said, adding, “Another one is cyberbullying or being bullied online or if you post on social media and your classmates see it.” Sydnee Mildenberger, a psychologist at Wholesome Psychology in west Edmonton, agrees that both the uncertainty of the start of the school year and social media and artificial intelligence platforms feed into the jump in youth seeking help. “There’s new teachers, new friends, new kids around you, (and) classmates. You’re not sure about the workload every year. When you go into a higher grade, there becomes more academic pressure as well, or extracurricular activities,” Mildenberger told CTV News Edmonton in an interview Friday. The psychologist says another thing for parents and kids to watch out for is misinformation on social media and with AI use. “Certain things like autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression can be very informative (and) can make you feel more welcome in that community, but at the same time, we have to be aware that there can always be things that are not true, and not every symptom can apply to you,” she explained. Mildenberger says parents should watch out for changes in patterns of behaviour in their kids, including pulling out of activities, withdrawal, doom scrolling, changes in sleep or eating habits. Ultimately, she says the best way for parents to support their children is to create a safe environment. “Open communication is really great for kids and their parents, so they feel like they have a safe space to talk about things,” she said, adding that KHP is also a good option. “Sometimes they don’t always feel comfortable coming to (their) parents or talking to someone face-to-face can be scarier than calling over the phone,” Mildenberger said. Other mental health support resources for kids include school counsellors, psychologists, and community groups. KHP is a free, 24/7 service, which is offered in English, French and other languages. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum
