On July 16, the new 988 three-digit dialing number is being launched across the US, replacing the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline ten-digit number, 1-800-273-8255, as the current dialing code is too long for anyone to remember immediately without a readily available internet search.
The 988 number should allow those experiencing suicidal thoughts to get help more easily and is scheduled to begin taking calls on Saturday.
The revamp is being applauded as a step in the right direction, and will be backed by more than $400 million in federal funding in an attempt to meet the growing demand for mental health issues in the United States.
In 2022, it was reported by Mental Health America that at least 4.58% of adults reported having suicidal ideation, which is an increase of 664,000 people from last year’s data. Over half of all adults in the US with mental illnesses are being left untreated, a percentage that has grown every year since 2011.
But long wait periods due to a staff shortage for the original Lifeline has led to concerns that this new program will face those same issues. Around 18% of about one million calls to the Lifeline in the first half of this year were abandoned, The New York Times reports, while predicting that the new and improved 988 number will further strain resources.
"If you are willing to turn to someone in your moment of crisis, 988 will be there," Xavier Becerra, the secretary of health and human services, confidently said at a recent press briefing. "988 won't be a busy signal, and 988 won't put you on hold. You will get help."
But Jennifer Piver, the chief director of Mental Health America in South Carolina, has some doubts.
“I’m sure we’ll be fine on Saturday,” said Piver, who added that federal funding has enabled her to fill eight new positions, though she says it’s only temporary. “But as the word gets out, you know, coping with that growth is not something that we’re prepared for financially in terms of staff.”
Despite skepticism that call centers will be weighed down by calls, the 988 number is believed by some observers to be a step in the right direction, as 911 currently does not address mental health emergencies. Currently, mental health crises are too often responded to by law enforcement officers, who are unequipped to address mental health concerns.
"Unlike other medical emergencies, mental health crises overwhelmingly result in a law enforcement response," says Benjamin Miller, who is a psychologist and the president of Well Being Trust. "If you look at the data from the police, about 20% of their total staff time is spent responding and transporting individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis."
Miller adds that more than two million people with serious mental illnesses were thrown in jail last year, and almost a quarter of those killed by police in recent years had some mental health issues.
In June of 2019, Miles Hall, a 23 year-old man suffering from schizophrenia, was experiencing a mental health crisis, but was nonviolent. However, Walnut Creek Police responded to the scene and shot Hall four times “in a big cul-de-sac in the middle of the street,” said his mother, who has since started the Miles Hall Foundation to push for mental health reform.
The 988 lifeline will hopefully work to reduce the number of police responses to mental health crises in the future. Those who need the line can call or text and will be transferred to a call center that is closest to them geographically. The new line could also spur more in-person crisis support, so those who are in danger of hurting themselves but don’t have the capability to reach out will be responded to by a team of trained professionals. However, this sort of in-person support, in which a team can arrive at a person’s doorstep, is currently scarce.
"This is the beginning of a story," says Chuck Ingoglia, CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. "It's going to continue to require investment at the federal level, at the state level, at the local level, to really make sure that this reaches its potential."