Answering the call on teen mental health

When the phone rings inside a cozy California office, teenager Sanaya pauses, takes a deep breath, and answers with three simple words: “Teen Line, hello.”

She never knows who will be on the other end: a teen stressed about finals, someone navigating heartbreak, or carrying something even heavier. What she does know is that for the next few minutes, she gets to be a safe place to land.

Sanaya is one of dozens of trained teen volunteers at Teen Line, a mental health nonprofit that connects teenagers with other teenagers to offer a judgment-free, anonymous space to talk about whatever's weighing on them.

• From 6-10 pm PST every day, the phones and computers light up with messages from across the country, and sometimes the world.
• The topics range from school stress and friendship drama to eating disorders and self-harm.

Before they ever pick up a call, volunteers complete 100+ hours of training under the guidance of Senior Director Cheryl Karp Eskin, a former Teen Line volunteer herself.

The need is real. About 40% of US high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and suicide remains the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24, according to CDC data.

As federal funding for youth mental health programs declines, organizations like Teen Line are working to remain a steady voice on the other end of the line.

And they're not alone: Out in Arizona, Teen Life Line provides free teen-to-teen support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

• 87% of callers say their problems feel more manageable after speaking with a teen counselor, according to the org.
• 93% report feeling more hopeful about the future when they hang up.

“I think the biggest thing I say to almost every caller is that it’s okay not to be okay,” Sanaya said. “There’s such a culture, especially among teenagers, to just say, ‘I’m fine.’ But when you tell someone it’s really okay to talk about what’s going on, they start to open up. Then we can have a much deeper conversation.”

And sometimes, that deeper conversation is the first step toward something powerful: relief, connection, and the reminder that no one has to face their hardest moments alone.