Pictured: Valerie Hanson. In the right image, she's seen ringing the bell during her last immunotherapy treatment at the QEII Cancer Centre
What if a text message could help change a life, playing a critical role in a loved one’s mental health treatment and care? What if these messages could break down barriers to access and help connect individuals with the resources and encouragement they need? Thanks to the generosity of 540 QEII Foundation donors, this aspiration is now reality – ensuring Nova Scotians have one more mental health support at their fingertips.
A donor-funded tool, Text4Support sends automated, daily text messages to people accessing mental health services in Nova Scotia. Each text is crafted by mental health experts and reflects the messages and advice a recipient would typically receive from a therapist during face-to-face sessions. These texts are tailored to address the recipient’s specific diagnosis and provide support and guidance at various points in their mental health journey.
Valerie Hanson received her first daily message through Text4Support earlier this year.
“I had been diagnosed with cancer for the fourth time in my life and was struggling with depression,” she says, describing her ongoing cancer treatment and journey. “I had a great appointment with a psychiatrist who recommended Text4Support as a follow-up program to help prioritize and maintain my mental health.”
Valerie is living with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma; a slowly-progressing and chronic type of cancer.
“It’s not aggressive, but I’ll have it for the rest of my life,” says Valerie, who notes this cancer diagnosis and experience is vastly different than the others she has faced in the past.
“Before, I’d have surgery or treatment and then I’d be good,” she says. “This is a long-term cancer, so dealing with that has been a lot more challenging for my mental health.”
According to Valerie, the supportive texts she receives each day often include prompts for positive thinking and mindfulness; something she’s already passionate about and can easily incorporate into her daily routine.
But it’s the consistency of the texts that she finds most beneficial.
“You get used to receiving those Text4Support messages at the same time every day and they become something to look forward to, even if you don’t read them right away,” says Valerie.
She explains that for many individuals struggling with their mental health, daily habits and “things being constant and dependable” are very important.
“With mental health, there’s many hills and valleys within a week or even in a 24-hour period – so those daily texts are so key,” says Valerie. “Receiving that message of the day can prompt me to step back and focus, read a particular article or webpage they recommend, or just do what I need to prioritize my mental health like guided meditation or manifesting.”
Valerie wrapped her final immunotherapy treatment in late-April, a milestone she celebrated by ringing the well-known bell at the QEII Cancer Centre.
For the Halifax resident, it’s the start of a new and important journey as she begins her physical recovery.
“I’m excited to regain more of my strength and spend time outdoors, enjoying our city and downtown,” says Valerie. “These past few months have been quite isolating during my treatment, so the chance to have lunch with and reconnect with the people I know is just one of the things I’m looking forward to.”
She’s grateful to the donors whose generous support introduced Text4Support in Nova Scotia. The program, which launched in November 2022, has also reached a new and pivotal milestone.
Text4Support has expanded from a pilot initiative and research study to now being integrated within mental health and addictions services across the province. It means more individuals, like Valerie, will have access to this valuable resource – complementing the other care and treatments they’ll receive.
“There’s a desperate need and this is a great, low-cost program that can provide extra support and help people feel less alone,” says Valerie. “Sometimes the little things, like a simple text message, can make a big difference.”
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QEII Foundation donors generously contributed $171,000 to Text4Support as part of the QEII Foundation’s $100-million We Are campaign. Text4Support is a partnership between Nova Scotia Health Mental Health and Addictions, the QEII Foundation, the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub, and Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine and Department of Psychiatry.
If you or a loved one needs help now, the Provincial Mental Health and Addictions crisis line is always available at 1 888 429 8167.
