Text help hits global stage

A Kiwi organisation helping pioneer an innovative way to help troubled youths is taking its methods to the world.

Youthline Auckland will use its Herald on Sunday/Cathay Pacific High Flyers award to develop text message counselling at a conference in Belgium. The youth development organisation was among the first countries to adopt the idea of text counselling in December 2004.

The service was made free in January last year and clinical services manager Jayne Lowry said it had revolutionised the way young people used Youthline.

In 2007 it had about 50,000 calls and 2600 texts. So far this year that has switched to 27,000 calls and 132,500 texts.

The average age range of texters was 13 to 18, compared to 18 to 25 for callers.

Lowry said young people preferred texting because it was confidential, they were familiar with it and felt in control.

Ailsa Haxell, a volunteer of 20 years who is writing a PhD on text counselling, will attend the conference in Antwerp.

She said it was a "fantastic opportunity to tell the Youthline story overseas".

While the service was initially unsure how successful text messaging would be, it had changed the way people approached counselling.

"One of the really weird things is most people go straight into the topic. They can go straight into things like, 'I don't want to cut myself any more'."

While some conversations were "deadly serious", many people texted about less life-threatening topics.

"One of the gentlest conversations was with someone who was home alone in a bad storm, terrified, and needed someone to talk to," said Haxell.

Lowry said many people who contacted Youthline felt isolated or unsure about what to do with their lives.

The most popular subject for texters was relationships, followed by family concerns.

Most callers rang about isolation and having no one to talk to, followed by depression and anxiety, and relationships.

To contact Youthline, text 234 or phone 0800 376 633.