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Advance youth mental health research
Youth mental health research is essential to unlock the hope young people need to thrive in their world. That’s why, as Canada’s only free, confidential and multilingual e-mental health service for young people to Feel Out Loud, Kids Help Phone (KHP) stewards one of the most robust, anonymized datasets of its kind in the country that can rapidly convert new information into actionable insights and real-world products.
Through acceleratorKHP, we’re generating unprecedented understanding of the evolving needs of young people — insights that directly inform and improve KHP’s services while reflecting real youth voices. Together, KHP and our strategic partners can prudently leverage data to co-produce youth-centred, evidence-based solutions that expand access to help in all sizes.
Collaborate on youth mental health research through acceleratorKHP
Since January 2020, KHP has supported young people across Canada more than 22M times. Now with our de-identified data, and guided by our Applied Research Framework, we can:
Conduct research and retrospective analysis
Investigate millions of anonymized conversations to uncover trends, signals and gaps in youth mental health support over time — ensuring KHP can continuously adapt and improve services for young people.
Refine AI and model training
Fine-tune machine learning models — including Large Language Models (LLMs) — for real-world mental health applications grounded in lived experience, always with the aim of strengthening KHP’s ability to serve youth with innovative and accessible products and services safely and effectively.
Evaluate policies, systems and supports
Measure the effectiveness of services, interventions and volunteer supports to inform public strategies and systemic change, while also strengthening KHP’s own policies, governance standards and service delivery for youth across Canada.
Explore KHP’s youth mental health research in action
KHP is already shaping the future for generations through youth mental health research, technology and strategic partnerships. To review recent studies, reports and more, explore the publications below!
Obadinma S, Lachana A, Norman ML, et al. The FAIIR conversational AI agent assistant for youth mental health service provision. NPJ Digit Med. 2025;8:243. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01647-6
Simon A, Deschamps A, Walsh K, Brannigan T. Adding capacity and compassion to Canada’s mental health crisis: The impact of Kids Help Phone’s Crisis Responder volunteers. PLOS Ment Health. 2025;2:e0000321. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000321
Mughal S, McIlwaine SV, Swaroop S, Simon A, Shah JL. Five years of youth engagement with Kids Help Phone Canada (Part 1): Phone, chat, text, and peer-to-peer service usage nationally, provincially, and over time. Telemed J E Health. 2024;30(3):788–794. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2023.0071
Mughal S, McIlwaine SV, Swaroop S, Simon A, Shah JL. Five years of youth engagement with Kids Help Phone Canada (Part 2): Issues discussed over phone, chat, text, and peer-to-peer services by age range. Telemed J E Health. 2024;30(3):795–804. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2023.0072
Mental Health Commission of Canada. An E-Mental Health Strategy for Canada. 2024. https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/An-E-Mental-Health-Strategy-for-Canada-FINAL.pdf. Accessed September 11, 2025.
Your help means everything — contact acceleratorKHP!
Are you a researcher, data scientist, or clinician passionate about youth mental health research? Collaborate on applied research with one of Canada’s most trusted charities — and help directly inform and improve the services that millions of young people rely on — by contacting acceleratorKHP today!”
