The Transition to 988
The National Suicide Prevention Lifline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) is now an easy-to-remember three digit number "988"
In 2021, the 1-800-273-TALK Lifeline received 3.6 million calls, chats, and texts. That number is expected to double within the first full year after the 988 transition.
The transition was made on 7/16/22 and came after an almost 4 year joint effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make crisis care treatment more accessible to those who need it. The now easier three digit National Suicide Prevention 988 Lifeline number is also linked to the Veterans Crisis Line. Secretary Becerra of the (HHS) stated “988 is more than a number, it is a message: we’re there for you. Through this and other actions, we are treating mental health as a priority and putting crisis care in reach for more Americans."
The 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline is a system backed by more than 200 state and municipal call centers. “Recent investments made in the Lifeline have already resulted in more calls, chats, and texts answered even as volume has increased, but we know that too many people are still experiencing suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress without the support they need,” said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., the HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and leader of SAMHSA. “Over time, the vision for 988 is to have additional crisis services available in communities across the country, much the way emergency medical services work. The success of 988 depends on our continued partnership with states, as the federal government cannot do this alone. We urge states and territories to join us and invest further in answering the call to transform our crisis care response nationwide.”
This easy to remember and dial number is an essential resource as It was reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that in the U.S. there was one death by suicide every 11 minutes in 2020. For young individuals between the ages of 10 and 14 and 25 and 34, suicide was the second most common cause of death. More than 100,000 individuals perished from drug overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021.
According to studies, the majority of Lifeline callers are much more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful after interacting with a qualified crisis counselor.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
988
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