Mental health is an underlying issue that affects virtually everyone in some shape or form. Whether it’s your personal struggle with anxiety or your neighbour who is too depressed to leave their home, these are health problems that many people try to bury deep inside, so the public doesn’t see the demons that they carry.
Although it’s now discussed with greater frequency than in the past, suicide may still feel like a topic that society likes to sweep under the rug. To combat this, the Federal Government is working to create frameworks of suicide prevention in our nation to raise awareness and reduce the stigma, connect Canadians with the proper information and resources. While the government works to complete this task, the BC Coroners Service review underscores the urgent reality: suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for youth and young adults in the province.
On Oct.15, 2025, the BC Coroners Service released a long-awaited report titled Creating Connection, Supporting Strengths: A Review of Youth and Young Adult Deaths by Suicide in British Columbia. The report’s findings paint a bleak picture, revealing that between 2019 and 2023, as many as 435 young people lost their lives to suicide, which it states is the second most prevalent cause of death among youth, and the third most common cause among young adults aged 19 to 29 years old.
Despite awareness efforts, much has gone unchanged in B.C. with regard to understanding and recognizing the risks associated with poor mental health. Overall, four provinces—Manitoba, Ontario, and B.C.- have slightly improved their grade from an ‘F’ to a ‘D’ in this year’s Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health national report card survey. In response to the review, the Crisis Centre BC (CCBC) is trying to help those in times of darkness. The Omega spoke with CCBC executive director Stacy Ashton to gain her insights and discuss what steps the service is taking to support those in need.
In Ashton’s view, it’s the time after a vulnerable individual makes first contact that it becomes crucial to ensure a handoff to the correct care, because too often those seeking help are turned away.
“We often come into a situation where somebody was either brought into the hospital or came to the hospital because they simply didn’t feel safe [with] their own self,” Ashton said. “They get brought in, treated, but get sent home shortly after [due to] not meeting the criteria. If you’re turned away, you’re most likely feeling the same way as when you went in, and you’re left with the sense of, ‘who’s supposed to help me?’”
Ashton says that solving that question starts with building bridges between hospitals, crisis services and community support. Her solution sounds simple, but it could save lives: ensuring that when someone is discharged, the support isn’t stopped at the hospital doors.
“What we’d love to see is that a person can request an outreach call from the crisis line, or an outreach call from someone you know,” Ashton said. “Since we’re operating lines 24/7, we could theoretically call as soon as we get the referral. In an ideal world, we would have a two-way conversation with the hospital and encourage all options if we felt that the risk was severe. We want to take advantage of moments of clarity, where you’re able to say you’ve spiralled too far out of control, because you’ll have a bit of leeway until you start to spiral again. So that’s why we want to work with hospitals, because they’re not designed to take advantage of the little windows of lucidity.”
When asked if CCBC has faced pushback from hospitals, Ashton says the challenge isn’t resistance, but barriers between two different systems.
All parties can agree on wanting to build those relationships, but doing so requires reworking policies and deciding how to share information between medical and non-medical systems. Ashton believes that with a small amount of political will, leadership can make it happen.
“Everyone cares, but everyone is overwhelmed. It’s easy to keep your head down and just do the work in front of you instead of changing how the work is done. We’ve been carving out time to focus on system-building, and it’s paying off. Even small steps, like a follow-up call, show a sign of warmth and indicate that someone cares, making a big difference,” she said.
In B.C., there are places within the communities where people can find resources available for those struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health challenges, such as with the CCBC.
It’s a delicate road to navigate when someone is in the heat of a crisis. For many people who suffer from severe mental illness, it can feel debilitating to ask for help, while for others, it may even be a struggle to reconcile the notion that they need help at all. In moments of solitude, there can still be opportunities for support and care. The National Suicide Hotline Crisis Helpline is a call away.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through various resources, including:
Crisis Centre BC
- Call or text 988 for immediate support
Interior Crisis Line (Interior Health region)
- Call 1-888-353-2273
Kids Help Phone
- Call or text 1-800-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868
First Nations and Indigenous Peoples’ Hope for Wellness Helpline
- 1-855-242-3310
If you feel unsafe or unable to keep yourself safe, please go to your nearest emergency department or call 911.