January 23, 2022 – A nationwide suicide and crisis hotline can now reach significantly more people because the number was modified to 988 last summer.
In the last 6 months, the number 988 received about 2.1 million calls, SMS and chats, CNN reportedCalls increased 48% in December 2022 in comparison with December 2021, answered chats increased 263% and texts increased 1,445%, the outlet reported. Citing data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the federal agency that operates the hotline.
“We are serving more people and we are serving them faster,” said Kimberly Williams, president and CEO of Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit administrator of 988, The New York Times“We have made it much easier for people to get in touch and get the support they need, and we are encouraging help-seeking behavior through this simple three-digit number.”
Response time has improved, from about 3 minutes in 2021 to 44 seconds in December 2022, John Palmieri, chief medical adviser at SAMHSA, told CNN. He said the triple-digit number helps people who find themselves often not served by the mental health care system.
“So with 988 as a catalytic moment, there really is an opportunity to transform the crisis care system to better meet those needs in a less restrictive, more person-centered and more focused on treatment and recovery,” he said.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline opened in 2005 and could possibly be called at (800) 273-8255 (TALK). On July 16, 2022, the number was modified to 988, which is less complicated to call and remember. The name was also modified to 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
The number of individuals within the United States who died by suicide increased 4% in 2021 in comparison with the previous yr, in keeping with the National Center for Health Statistics reported last September. The agency said 47,646 people died by suicide in 2021, in comparison with 45,979 in 2020. The variety of suicides had fallen within the previous two years.