Two Years In, 988 Suicide Hotline Sees Successes Amid Awareness Concerns
The increases in call volume and response times has helped many people in a mental health crisis, officials say, but too many Americans still don't know the service is available.
The CT Mirror:
CT Suicide Hotline's Successes Celebrated After 2 Years In Service
Connecticut officials applauded the two-year anniversary of the 988 suicide and crisis prevention hotline on Tuesday, even as the rising number of calls to the line points to a mental health crisis that has swept the country post-COVID. Since the line was introduced in 2022, the state has seen consistent increases in call volume, with a 32% increase in fiscal year 2024. (Tillman, 7/16)
The New York Times:
Crisis Hotline Has Answered 10 Million Calls, Texts And Chats
More than 10 million calls, texts and chat messages have been answered by counselors working for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s three-digit hotline in the two years since it debuted, federal officials said on Tuesday. The three-digit number, 988, was introduced in 2022 as a way to simplify emergency calls and help a metastasizing mental health crisis in the United States, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the social environments of younger Americans. The hotline previously used a traditional 10-digit number. (Weiland, 7/16)
Axios:
Top Biden Mental Health Official On 988's Future
Two years in, big questions remain about whether America's revamped 988 suicide hotline is working as envisioned and how funding has been dispersed. (Goldman, 7/16)
Axios:
Suicide Hotline Awareness Lags, Two Years In
Many Americans still don't know about 988, the revamped national suicide hotline, according to new polling from Ipsos on behalf of the National Alliance of Mental Illness. 988 launched two years ago Tuesday, and while 67% of U.S. adults say they've heard of the hotline, only 23% say they're at least somewhat familiar with it. (Goldman, 7/16)
Meanwhile, in news on emergency calls —
KFF Health News:
The Nation’s 911 System Is On The Brink Of Its Own Emergency
Just after lunchtime on June 18, Massachusetts’ leaders discovered that the statewide 911 system was down. A scramble to handle the crisis was on. Police texted out administrative numbers that callers could use, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu gave outage updates at a press conference outlining plans for the Celtics’ championship parade, and local officials urged people to summon help by pulling red fire alarm boxes. (Armour, 7/17)
Idaho Statesman:
Security Concerns Cause Ada County To Halt Emergency System
The Ada County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that it “proactively” took its Computer Aided Dispatch system offline because of security concerns. While 911 services continue for the Boise area, dispatchers are working using “backup systems and processes,” and are still taking and recording calls, allowing emergency services to respond as needed, according to a news release. (Krutzig, 7/16)
