Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
3 Digits To Remember In A Mental Health Crisis: Law Creates 988 Hotline
NPR: New Law Creates 988 Hotline For Mental Health Emergencies
President Trump has signed into law a bipartisan bill to create a three-digit number for mental health emergencies. The Federal Communications Commission had already picked 988 as the number for this hotline and aims to have it up and running by July 2022. The new law paves the way to make that a reality. "We are thrilled, because this is a game changer," says Robert Gebbia, CEO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (Chatterjee, 10/19)
Boston.com: Trump Signs Seth Moulton Bill To Make 988 National Suicide Hotline Number
Across the United States, 911 is the number to call in the case of emergencies, 211 is the number for local community services, and 511 is the number for transportation information. Now, under a bill co-written by Rep. Seth Moulton and signed into law Saturday by President Donald Trump, Americans will have a new three-digit hotline, 988, to call if they have questions or concerns about the mental health of a loved one — or their own. ... The Salem congressman, who disclosed struggling with post-traumatic stress after his combat experience in the Iraq War and made mental health a focus point of his short-lived 2020 presidential campaign, called the new law “a win for every American who has been affected by a mental illness.” (DeCosta-Klipa, 10/19)
Military Times: Plans For Vets Suicide Prevention Training, New Three-Digit Emergency Mental Health Crisis Line Signed Into Law
President Donald Trump on Saturday signed into law a pair of bills designed to help prevent veterans suicide, including a measure to establish a new three-digit national crisis line similar to 911 for mental health emergencies. Both measures had received significant support from veterans groups in recent months, and passed through Congress without significant objection. In a statement Saturday night, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie praised the moves as key improvements in efforts to better reach veterans in times of emotional or mental instability. “People in distress and in need of timely care should face the fewest obstacles possible to get help,” he said. “The bill President Trump signed today will soon make it easier for those at risk to be quickly connected to a trained responder and will help save lives.” (10/19)
In related news —
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Suicides Rising Among U.S. Service Members
The number of U.S. troops who took their own lives reached 260 in the first half of this year, a nearly 4% increase from the same period last year when 251 suicides were recorded in the military, according to a recently released report. The Defense Suicide Prevention Office report does not provide statistics for military bases, several of which are located in Georgia. But between January and June, suicides among reservists totaled 44, up from 37 during the same time frame last year. Suicides among active-duty troops increased to 170 from 163. They dropped to 46 from 51 in the National Guard. (Redmon, 10/19)
CNN: Covid-19 Pandemic Leaves Those With Mental Illness In Fear
For Shelby Rowe, a bead artist and mother of three adult children, the most difficult day of the coronavirus pandemic came in August. It was the day her son, Trevor, was rushed to the hospital. He was already battling Covid-19, and on that day, he was having difficulty breathing. "That fear that I could lose my child and not be able to visit him, that definitely affected my mental health," Rowe said. "The pandemic has brought a lot more uncertainty and fear and given me more anxiety than I think I've ever experienced." (Howard, 10/12)
