Kids Help Phone Reimagines the Beatles’ ‘Help!’ to Show What Help Truly Means to Youth Across Canada

TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kids Help Phone (KHP) has launched the next chapter of Feel Out Loud with a bold new film featuring The Beatles’ iconic anthem “Help!”. Behind the film is an urgent reality: since 2020, KHP has connected with young people more than 22 million times, reflecting a mental health crisis that touches every corner of the country. KHP’s latest campaign redefines what help means by showing the many reasons young people reach out — from complex feelings to urgent crises. Backed by more than 50 million real-time, real-language data points that have been aggregated and anonymized from conversations with youth, the film and all aspects of the campaign are shaped by their voices and experiences in any given moment: paraphrasing the very words young people have shared with KHP to show help is here for all feelings and every issue. Because help means everything.

Each scene in the film is designed as a cinematic metaphor for what youth tell us they’re living through. A father dissolving into stardust symbolizes the pain of loss. A diary wrapping its writer in a hug conveys the weight of isolation and the need for self-acceptance. These visuals are not imagined — they are drawn from more than 50 million anonymized, real-time, real-language conversations with young people, paraphrased and transformed into powerful, emotional expressions of why they reach out.

“Help isn’t about weakness, it’s about possibility. Every day, young people reach out to us in different ways, and about different things. There is no issue to big or feeling too small,” says Susan Morris, Interim President & CEO, Kids Help Phone. “For more than 36 years, KHP has been here to listen and respond, and we’ll continue to be here, 24/7, as the challenges facing young people evolve.”

The fall launch is intentional: back-to-school marks one of the most stressful times of year for youth. Young people consistently share with KHP the pressures they face during this season — from anxiety and bullying to fear of failure and the stress of finding the right resources. In 2024, KHP saw an 18% increase in text interactions during the July through October period alone, with conversations about anxiety and stress surging more than 20 per cent.

Fast Facts

75% of service users tell KHP something they’ve never told anyone before
Last year, 49 per cent of youth said that if they had not reached out to KHP, they would have ignored the issue or hoped it went away, which is a significant barrier to good mental health
Between 2023-2024, KHP received 28 per cent more conversations about sexual abuse from youth who mentioned sharing feelings with KHP that they’ve never shared before
In 2024, Indigenous youth accessed KHP’s services at twice their proportion of the Canadian population, and Black youth at nearly twice their representation
In the last six months, almost 20 per cent of conversations have revolved around the economy or employment, demonstrating the negative impact that geopolitical and economic crises are having on the mental health of youth

The film brings to life the message that help looks different for every young person and that all youth deserve the freedom to be who they are, express how they feel and get support. The Feel Out Loud movement is a call-to-action on behalf of the 8.2M young people in this country who need space to express and explore all their feelings in a safe and non-judgmental way. Through Feel Out Loud, KHP is taking action by continuing to expand clinical services, close the mental health equity gap, and leverage innovation in virtual care.

As one creative expression of this movement, the film highlights how adults can play a role by donating to ensure every young person has access to life-saving support when they need it most. At the same time, it makes it easier for youth to know that reaching out is simple, free and always available — whether by phone, text or online chat, anytime, anywhere in Canada, and for any issue they’re facing.

Additional Quotes:

“Young people are navigating challenges in ways that the traditional mental health system simply wasn’t built for. At KHP, we know that responsive, inclusive and innovative support isn’t optional—it’s essential,” says Justin Scaini, Group Head and Executive Vice President, Strategy, Innovation and Transformation. “Our approach is driven by bold innovation, grounded in clinical expertise, and built with safety at its core —because that’s what young people deserve.”

“Young people connect with us across a wide spectrum of needs: some in moments of acute crisis, and others to process stress, identity, or relationships,” says Alisa Simon, Group Head and Executive Vice President, e-Mental Health Transformation and Clinical Services. “By grounding this campaign in youth experiences, we’re showing that KHP is built to respond to all of it, from moments of crisis to the heavy feelings, with the right level of support, whenever and however youth choose to reach out.”

“With this film, we wanted to take an anthem everyone knows and reimagine it through the voices of young people today. The choice to reinterpret Help! was intentional, it’s timeless, but now it carries the weight of modern realities,” says Rebecca Stutley, Group Head and Executive Vice President, Brand, Storytelling and Communications. “Every lyric, every frame reflects what youth tell us in their own words: that help looks different for each of them.”

About Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone (KHP) is Canada’s only 24/7, free, confidential, and multilingual e-mental health solution. Whether through professional counselling, crisis response, or self-directed mental health resources, KHP has been a trusted space for youth for over 36 years. No matter the feeling or issue, big or small, KHP empowers young people to Feel Out Loud and access support whenever they need it most. KHP knows that young people and the issues they are facing are changing faster than ever. That’s why innovation is more than what we do – it’s who we are: a global leader in youth mental health that blends technology with empathy to better serve youth. KHP gratefully relies on the generosity of donors, volunteers, stakeholder partners, corporate partners and governments to unlock the hope young people need to thrive in their worlds. Join us at kidshelpphone.ca.

For more information, please contact: media@kidshelpphone.ca

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/344211dc-f6bd-410d-9a0f-f4938864a324

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