New Law Establishes 988 As National Suicide Hotline

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Key TakeawaysA new law will create a national mental health emergency hotline at the number 988, which will replace the current number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.The line won’t go live until 2022, and in the meantime, experts and advocates say we need to change how we think about suicide and better fund prevention efforts.

Key Takeaways

A new law will create a national mental health emergency hotline at the number 988, which will replace the current number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.The line won’t go live until 2022, and in the meantime, experts and advocates say we need to change how we think about suicide and better fund prevention efforts.

Last week, President Trump signed a law that will create a mental health emergency hotline at the number 988.The hotline will become active in 2022, and will replace1-800-273-8255 (TALK), which is the currentNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Some experts say the change will help reach more people, as calls to emotional support hotlines have increased in recent years, particularly during the pandemic.Others are wary it willplace additional stress on crisis centersthat are already overwhelmed and underfunded.

Expanding The Lifeline Could Save Lives

Having a crisis line that’s only three digits is important, simply because it will be easier to remember, saysLeela Magavi, MD, regional medical director of Community Psychiatry. Often, people experiencing anxiety or depression have problems with working memory and processing, she says.

“People have access to the hotline numbers and crisis numbers, but they’re very long numbers,” Magavi says. “So 988 will be very easy for individuals and their loved ones to remember, so we can save lives.”

Leela Magavi, MDWhen you’re in so much pain, you need something simple, just like 911.

Leela Magavi, MD

When you’re in so much pain, you need something simple, just like 911.

988 will also put callers in touch with mental health professionals, which will keep them safer, saysJonathan Singer, PhD, president of the American Association of Suicidology.

That situation could become dangerous or even deadly for Black people,transgender people,or people with autism.

Magavi says that she has patients with autism who have struggled with insomnia, depression, and anxiety due to interactions with police. “I think 988 will alleviate that anxiety to initiate and make that step to call for help,” Magavi says.

“A lot of people do not call 911 because… they’re scared about what might happen, if their loved one will be handcuffed or be traumatized,” Magavi says. Negative interactions with police can even lead to an increased risk for suicide, she says.

National Helpline Database

Crisis Centers Are Critically Underfunded

Currently, there are about 170 local crisis centers in the Lifeline’s network, NPR reports.When someone calls in, they are routed to the center that’s closest to them.

But a lack of federal funding means those centers are already stretched thin. Some have even shut down or left the network. PBS reports found that from 2008 to 2012, nine centers dropped out of the network. From 2013 to 2017, 23 dropped out.

The new law will allow states to collect fees from mobile service providers and use the funds to support 988,though it’s unclear how much more funding the fees will generate.

Dese’Rae L. Stage, Mental Health AdvocateThe reality is that people who are answering crisis calls and the centers that they’re in are not staffed appropriately.

Dese’Rae L. Stage, Mental Health Advocate

The reality is that people who are answering crisis calls and the centers that they’re in are not staffed appropriately.

“On its face, 988 looks great,” saysDese’Rae L. Stage, a suicide attempt survivor and creator of “Live Through This,” a multimedia documentary series that tells the stories of other suicide attempt survivors. “The reality is that people who are answering crisis calls and the centers that they’re in are not staffed appropriately.”

While increased awareness is ultimately a good thing, she notes that a sudden spike in calls like that may result in longer wait times if the lines are understaffed. “That’s not a great experience for someone who’s experiencing a crisis—to be put on hold,” Stage says. “That’s a problem: more volume, not enough staff, not enough staff getting paid well.”

Singer says he hopes the new law to create 988 will emphasize the need for additional funding. “My hope is that it will provide incentives for communities to think about how they’re allocating funding, so that crisis services actually get the funding that they deserve and that they should have in order to respond to the needs of the community,” he says.

A Larger Broken System

Even if crisis centers were to receive more funding, Stage says there are other systemic problems with how the Lifeline operates and the ways we talk about suicide in the United States.

For example, the Lifeline allows counselors to call emergency services for an “active rescue” without a caller’s consent when they believe the caller is at “imminent risk of suicide.“It’s a policy that Stage says can result in a “scary and humiliating and degrading” experience.

When Stage attempted suicide, someone she knew called police. They showed up at her apartment and told her she was going to the hospital. “And I said, ‘OK, can I put on a bra?,'” Stage recalls. But they wouldn’t let her. “I’m scared and I want to die and I’m out in public with no bra,” Stage says. “And that might seem like a little thing, but it’s just something that stuck with me… It’s kind of dehumanizing.”

When you call the Lifeline, Stage says, they’ll often tell you to go see a therapist or practice self-care. “It’s always around mental health,” she says. “It’s not… ‘how can I help you through the application process for services like WIC, … [or] how can I help you find housing?’ It’s about your mental health.”

The coronavirus pandemic complicates the creation of 988 even more. The line won’t be available until 2022, but Magavi says there is definitely a need now.

Leela Magavi, PhDThe individuals I’m working with, some of them have conveyed to me that this is the most painful period of their lives.

Leela Magavi, PhD

The individuals I’m working with, some of them have conveyed to me that this is the most painful period of their lives.

In late June 2020, the CDC surveyed more than 5,000 adults about their mental health. It found that nearly 10.7% of respondents said they’d seriously considered suicide in the last month. That’s more than twice the rate from 2018, which was 4.3%.

“COVID has given us a really clear window into suicide not just being linked to mental health, unless you’re considering a response to COVID a mental illness,” Stage says. She hopes that in addition to creating 988, the suicide prevention field will put together comprehensive resources that will help address social determinants of health, like economic stability and healthcare.

988 will at least do a few important things, Singer hopes: It will bring attention to the various factors included in mental health support, and it will make calling law enforcement a last resort.

“I’m not saying that the mental health system as currently organized is necessarily a better alternative, but what’ll happen is that it’ll start with mental health,” he says.

What This Means For You

The new hotline won’t be working until 2022. Until then, the number for theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineis still 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

Other hotlines include:

The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233)

The National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

The Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860

The Trevor Project Hotline: 1-866-488-7386

When Should I Call a Depression Hotline?

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

13 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Library of Congress.S.2661 - National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.Hirt S.As calls to crisis hotlines spike amid the coronavirus, those who respond feel the strain.USA Today.Maxouris C.California city announced $4 million settlement over fatal police shooting of mentally ill Black man. CNN.Burns K.Why police often single out trans people for violence. Vox.Tint A, Palucka AM, Bradley E, Weiss JA, Lunsky Y.Correlates of police involvement among adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder.J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;47(9):2639-2647. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3182-5Violanti JM, Charles LE, McCanlies E, et al.Police stressors and health: a state-of-the-art review.Policing. 2017;40(4):642-656. doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-06-2016-0097Chatterjee R.Efforts to stop suicide will get a boost in 2020. NPR.Kim V.As calls to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline surge, under-resourced centers struggle to keep up. PBS.Congressional Budget Office.S. 2661, National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.Tinker B.Calls to suicide prevention hotline spike after VMA performance. CNN.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.Policy for helping callers at imminent risk of suicide.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide rates rising across the U.S.Czeisler MÉ, Lane RI, Petrosky E, et al.Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, June 24-30, 2020,MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(32):1049-1057. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6932a1

13 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Library of Congress.S.2661 - National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.Hirt S.As calls to crisis hotlines spike amid the coronavirus, those who respond feel the strain.USA Today.Maxouris C.California city announced $4 million settlement over fatal police shooting of mentally ill Black man. CNN.Burns K.Why police often single out trans people for violence. Vox.Tint A, Palucka AM, Bradley E, Weiss JA, Lunsky Y.Correlates of police involvement among adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder.J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;47(9):2639-2647. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3182-5Violanti JM, Charles LE, McCanlies E, et al.Police stressors and health: a state-of-the-art review.Policing. 2017;40(4):642-656. doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-06-2016-0097Chatterjee R.Efforts to stop suicide will get a boost in 2020. NPR.Kim V.As calls to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline surge, under-resourced centers struggle to keep up. PBS.Congressional Budget Office.S. 2661, National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.Tinker B.Calls to suicide prevention hotline spike after VMA performance. CNN.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.Policy for helping callers at imminent risk of suicide.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide rates rising across the U.S.Czeisler MÉ, Lane RI, Petrosky E, et al.Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, June 24-30, 2020,MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(32):1049-1057. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6932a1

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

U.S. Library of Congress.S.2661 - National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.Hirt S.As calls to crisis hotlines spike amid the coronavirus, those who respond feel the strain.USA Today.Maxouris C.California city announced $4 million settlement over fatal police shooting of mentally ill Black man. CNN.Burns K.Why police often single out trans people for violence. Vox.Tint A, Palucka AM, Bradley E, Weiss JA, Lunsky Y.Correlates of police involvement among adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder.J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;47(9):2639-2647. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3182-5Violanti JM, Charles LE, McCanlies E, et al.Police stressors and health: a state-of-the-art review.Policing. 2017;40(4):642-656. doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-06-2016-0097Chatterjee R.Efforts to stop suicide will get a boost in 2020. NPR.Kim V.As calls to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline surge, under-resourced centers struggle to keep up. PBS.Congressional Budget Office.S. 2661, National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.Tinker B.Calls to suicide prevention hotline spike after VMA performance. CNN.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.Policy for helping callers at imminent risk of suicide.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide rates rising across the U.S.Czeisler MÉ, Lane RI, Petrosky E, et al.Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, June 24-30, 2020,MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(32):1049-1057. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6932a1

U.S. Library of Congress.S.2661 - National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.

Hirt S.As calls to crisis hotlines spike amid the coronavirus, those who respond feel the strain.USA Today.

Maxouris C.California city announced $4 million settlement over fatal police shooting of mentally ill Black man. CNN.

Burns K.Why police often single out trans people for violence. Vox.

Tint A, Palucka AM, Bradley E, Weiss JA, Lunsky Y.Correlates of police involvement among adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder.J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;47(9):2639-2647. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3182-5

Violanti JM, Charles LE, McCanlies E, et al.Police stressors and health: a state-of-the-art review.Policing. 2017;40(4):642-656. doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-06-2016-0097

Chatterjee R.Efforts to stop suicide will get a boost in 2020. NPR.

Kim V.As calls to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline surge, under-resourced centers struggle to keep up. PBS.

Congressional Budget Office.S. 2661, National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.

Tinker B.Calls to suicide prevention hotline spike after VMA performance. CNN.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.Policy for helping callers at imminent risk of suicide.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide rates rising across the U.S.

Czeisler MÉ, Lane RI, Petrosky E, et al.Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, June 24-30, 2020,MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(32):1049-1057. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6932a1

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