In Crises of Weather and Violence, Text Lines Offer Support — and Data

Crisis-support organizations use data gathered from surges in use to understand the mental-health impact of disasters

by Jordyn Rosenberg

For days leading up to Hurricane Ian’s landfall in September 2022, Floridians’ social media feeds were filled with warnings of potentially life-threatening danger. Around-the-clock news coverage ratcheted up Florida residents’ anxiety. A few days before the storm’s landfall, at 2 am, the organization Crisis Text Line reached out in urgent need of extra volunteers, as they were experiencing a dramatic spike in texts.

Crisis Text Line is a non-profit that provides SMS counseling for those experiencing mental health crises. Any individual in need is able to text and reach a volunteer crisis counselor for help 24/7. The goal is to leverage a texting platform to create a safe space for users in a crisis, moving them from a heated moment to calm, while collecting data on text-senders’ demographics and the volume and keywords occurring during emergencies. (Disclosure: I have been a volunteer crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line, yet this was the first time I received an “all hands” alert, sent to 20,000 volunteers.)

Natural disasters pose significant threats to a population’s mental health and well-being. In adolescents, a wide range of mental health consequences have been identified, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, poor academic achievement, sleep disturbance, and more. Now, researchers are beginning to recognize that the data inherent in crisis texting presents a unique opportunity not just to evaluate adolescents’ mental health following a disaster, but also to predict mental-distress patterns that could follow future events.

Detecting sudden increases in trauma response

Dr. Kurt Michael, an emeritus professor at Appalachian State University and now Senior Clinical Director of the JED Foundation, co-conducted a study evaluating text-based crisis patterns following Hurricane Florence. After that storm hit the Carolinas in 2018, the number of users on the platform spiked tremendously. Michael and his co-authors showed that young people specifically were experiencing feelings of anxiety, stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts in the six weeks following Hurricane Florence. Text volume for anxiety and stress increased by 17 percent, suicidal ideation by 23 percent. Mental health emergency department visits rose by 16 percent.

After catastrophic hurricanes, like Florence, communities typically face a shortage of trained counselors who can provide the necessary mental health support. “As more real-time data is collected,” Michael says, “we can better prepare for how to best support these communities in the future.”

Traumatic events such mass shootings have a similar effect on text data. A study conducted after the May 2022 mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas examined the change in the volume of fire arm-related texts afterward. Data showed that there was a significant increase in the number of conversations Crisis Text Line received that mentioned firearms. Increases in conversations about“grief were also reported. The volume of these messages especially spiked one day following the shooting. Overall, these results demonstrate a dramatic increase in demand for crisis services. 

Traumatic events may affect mental health even when someone has not experienced them directly. Dr. Keilan Rickard, executive director of Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), shared how news coverage of certain events, such as race-related trauma, can impact college students’ mental health. “Symptoms may include a loss of faith in the goodness of humanity, feelings of sadness or hopelessness, dissociation, avoidance of any reminders about the trauma, or even flashbacks involving the traumatic event,” Rickard says. However, he adds, other students may experience a positive impact; for instance, may feel motivated to become involved in movements for social change, connecting them to a community with a common purpose.

Finding the lessons in the data

The opportunity presented by text-line information is that allows mental health professionals to examine real-world data on the psychological effects of traumatic events in order to evaluate options to better prepare for future instances. Analyzing this information is important to ensure that people receive the help and support they need during hard times. Crisis support services, as well as longer-term mental health services, mobilize to be prepared to deal with spikes in mental health.

“Crisis Text Line became more focused on how their volunteers can be better prepared to respond to the unique needs of climate-related disasters,” Michael says. Following the Hurricane Florence analysis, he adds, Crisis Text Line has since created “Spike Teams,” which reach out to volunteers during a text surge, providing extra help and reducing wait times for text-senders in crisis.

At Emory University, in particular, CAPS is also tracking patient data relating to crisis and urgent appointments, after-hours crisis calls, as well as calls to the Emory Helpline. Dr. Rickard shared that this data allows CAPS to pinpoint trends and overall better prepare for crises. “We increase staff coverage during times of day we know to be busier based on our data, we alert staff to themes we see in our data related to students’ reasons for visiting CAPS, and we remain attuned to demographic information to guide our outreach to students,” said Dr. Rickard.

Below are some resources if you are seeking mental health support: 

• Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor via SMS, or dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Hotline.
• Call 404.727.4357 to reach the Emory Helpline, a confidential, peer support hotline.

Click here to view Emory University’s additional mental health resources.