Inaugural “988 Day” raises awareness around suicide prevention

Sept. 8 is the first annual 988 Day, a day of action meant to raise awareness around the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which can be reached by dialing or texting 9-8-8 or online at 988lifeline.orgopens in new window. The crisis line was launched 2 years ago by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to make emergency mental health support easier to access.

988 Day is part of SAMHSA’s Suicide Prevention Month, held each September to remember those lost to suicide, acknowledge those impacted by it, and honor the resilience of those who continue to experience suicidal thoughts and attempts. It is also a nationwide push to continue learning about and spreading the word about suicide prevention.

The theme this year: “No Judgment. Just Help.”

“We encourage everyone to celebrate this day along with us and talk to your friends and family about the 988 Lifeline, post on social media using #988Day, or do something to care for your own mental health,” psychologist Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, PhD, SAMHSA’s assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, said in a statement.

[Related: YouthLine: A peer-support crisis line for teens]

Every 11 minutes, someone dies by suicide in the United States. Annual deaths have been rising, with the highest number on record—nearly 50,000—in 2022, the last year with available data (A Look at the Latest Suicide Data and Change Over the Last Decade, Kaiser Family Foundation, 2023opens in new window).

As part of a larger push to increase support for the millions of U.S. adults who have seriously considered suicide, SAMSHA launched the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in July 2022. It provides a more memorable and accessible alternative to the previous lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK, which now forwards callers to the 988 crisis line.

“988 is critical not only because it’s easier to remember than a general 800 number, but also because, as this shift is mandated in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) legislation, states are incentivized to improve infrastructure and response to mental health crises, along with integrating services with 911 and other first responders,” said geropsychologist Erin Emery-Tiburcio, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Rush University in Chicago, who works to improve care for older adults, a group with higher rates of suicide.

Callers can access the free and confidential lifeline all day, every day. Anyone who is experiencing a suicidal, mental health, or substance use crisis can dial in and connect with a trained counselor at one of more than 200 call centers. Callers may need to wait a few minutes to reach a local center; if no in-state counselors are available, an out-of-state overflow center will step in to take the call. The Veteran’s Crisis Line, a dedicated call center for miliary veterans, can be reached by dialing “1” after connecting to 988.

Counselors are prepared to aid in various crisis situations and to help create safety plans; they can also connect callers to resources or refer them to local mental health care providers. They are trained to only call the police as a last resort, when it is necessary to save a person’s life.

“90% of the time, it’s just about listening, hearing people out, and not problem-solving, said Lillian Turner, a Lifeline counselor from Community Crisis Services Inc. based in Prince George’s County in Maryland.

Since its launch, 988 has received more than 10.8 million calls, texts, and chats. In May 2024, the lifeline received more than half a million contacts, up 80% from May 2022, before the three-digit number was launched. Call centers have largely kept up with that growing demand, with wait times decreasing and answer rates improving across the country (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Two Years After Launch, Kaiser Family Foundation, 2024opens in new window).

Research suggests that crisis lines are highly effective, with one study finding that close to half of texters to the Crisis Text Line felt less suicidal after messaging with a counselor (Gould, M., et al., Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Vol. 52, No. 3, 2022opens in new window). More research is needed, however, particularly on chat-based crisis lines and those targeted to marginalized groups, such as sexual minorities (Zabelski, S., et al., Psychiatric Services, Vol. 74, No. 5, 2022opens in new window).

For now, the focus is on spreading the word about 988 so that mental health care providers, people in crisis, and the general public know where to get help in an emergency. SAMHSA also offers a range of resourcesopens in new window to help prevent suicide deaths, including online training courses and strategic prevention plans.

“Suicide affects every race, gender, ethnic group, and orientation, so it’s important to know and spread the word that suicide is preventable, and that help is available,” Delphin-Rittmon said.