There’s some very good news about the use of the 988 Lifeline (that’s the toll-free number that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.)

According to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, “In May 2024, monthly contacts exceeded half a million, up about one-third from a year ago and 80% since May 2022. Despite increased demand for 988 services, national answer rates improved and wait times decreased, though some gains slipped in the second year.”

Although that news is encouraging, the public awareness about the hotlines remains low. A recent survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) released a couple of weeks ago, bears this out. Following are some highlights from the survey, including comments provided to us by Sephanie Pasternak, director of state affairs for NAMI. 

• Awareness and familiarity with 988 have remained steady since October 2023. Only 23% of Americans are familiar with 988, meaning they know of the resource and roughly understand what it might be used for – the same as in October 2023. 

Pasternak:  This “points a huge opportunity that state and local governments have in raising awareness and familiarity with 988. They can pursue broader and more robust statewide public awareness campaigns and think how to partner with key stakeholders like schools, departments of transportation, employer groups, and faith communities. The national marketing of 988 by the federal government has only just begun and so this is a gap state, and local leaders can help to fill.

• Nearly 9 in 10 people who are familiar with 988 trust they would receive the help they needed if they contacted 988.

Pasternak: “By understanding what 988 is for, and how it works, states and local governments can encourage help-seeking behavior and hopefully prevent individuals in a mental health crisis from needing emergency room services, avoid hospitalizations and any unnecessary calls to 911 and/or contact with law enforcement.

• Of those who have contacted 988 already, about two-thirds (68%) say they got the help they needed – a significant (13 percentage points) improvement from a year ago. 

Pasternak: “These data points are likely a testament to states’ increased 988 capacity building efforts, improved crisis counselor trainings, and efforts to interconnect 988 with in-person mental health support services like mobile crisis teams, crisis stabilization centers (where available), and outpatient mental health providers.”

• About half (51%) of people said that being able to speak to a crisis counselor immediately is the most important factor in reaching out to 988. About four in five (79%) say they are more likely to contact 988 if they are able to speak to a crisis counselor immediately, reinforcing the need for ongoing investments to keep wait times down as demand increases.

Pasternak: “This speaks to the need for state and local governments to recruit more 988 crisis counselors to answer call, texts, and chat and keep wait times down. There are a lot of 988 job openings across the country and as you might imagine, burnout is major concern for this workforce.”

• People are supportive of funding for 988 – and insurance covering crisis care. More than 8 in 10 adults support federal funding (83%) or state funding (83%) for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call center operations and crisis response service

Pasternak: “These high figures send the message that support for the 988 Lifeline is bipartisan and that Americans see mental illness, suicide, and substance use as issues worthy of attention and investment from all levels of government.

#988LifelineAwareness #NationalAllianceOnMentalIllness #NAMI #StateAndLocalMentalHealthPolicy #StateandLocalMentalHealthWorkforce #StateLocalCrisisCounselorShortage #StateandLocalHumanResources #988HotlineJobOpenings #StateandLocalMentalHealthManagement #MentalHealthCapacityBuilding #StateandLocalMentalHealthWorkerRecruitment #StateandLocal988CallCenterSupport #B&GWeeklyManagementSelection

#BarrettandGreeneInc