Is the New 988 Suicide Hotline Working?
Here’s a look at what everyone should know about 988 and the challenges that lie ahead in continuing to fund and expand the network.
What should you know about 988?
The three-digit dialing code for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline became available in July of last year after receiving bipartisan support. (President Donald J. Trump signed the law establishing the new number in 2020.) Since then, more than five million calls, chats and texts have been routed to 988, a 66 percent increase from the previous 12 months, before the arrival of the new number.
Almost one million of those contacts were answered by Veterans Crisis Line, which is linked to 988.
According to the survey, most people either assume that calling 988 will automatically dispatch emergency services such as the police, or aren’t sure, but in reality, less than 2 percent of Lifeline calls require a connection to services like 911. In fact, 988 does not currently use geolocation, so those who call the hotline remain anonymous unless they choose to disclose identifying information. Part of the impetus behind creating 988 was to reduce the reliance on law enforcement or emergency departments to handle mental health crises, and instead to build an expanded group of services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has said. In some areas, that includes mobile crisis teams and stabilization centers, which offer people a place to go that isn’t an emergency room.
But you don’t need to be in crisis or suicidal to call 988 and speak with a counselor. It is a free service available at all hours, day or night, for anyone who needs support.
“It’s our hope that people will come to us before they are in a mental health crisis,” said Tia Dole, chief officer of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at Vibrant Emotional Health, the New York-based nonprofit that manages the Lifeline for SAMHSA.
Source: The New York Times
