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Study Finds 11% Drop in Expected U.S. Youth Suicide Deaths Following 988 Hotline Launch
A study published in JAMA found suicide deaths among 15- to 23-year-olds were 11% lower than projected from July 2022 to December 2024 following the 988 mental health crisis hotline's launch. Researchers attributed the decline to the program, which has received $1.5 billion in federal funding. The findings highlight the hotline's impact amid ongoing funding and service restoration discussions.
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U.S. teens and young adults fell 11% below expected levels in the two-and-a-half years after the 988 mental health crisis hotline launched in July 2022, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA. Researchers analyzed nationwide death certificate records from 1999 to 2022 to model suicide mortality and compared projections to actual deaths through December 2024.
Fortune reported that the 10 states with the largest increases in 988 call volumes after the launch experienced larger gaps between expected and actual suicide deaths. The reductions were more pronounced among younger people, specifically those aged 15 to 23, than in individuals older than 65.
No similar changes in suicide deaths occurred in England during the same period, where no comparable lifeline existed.
The study, led by Dr. Vishal Patel, a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School, suggests the program's impact, with Patel stating that specialized services for high-risk groups, including the LGBTQ+ line, are part of what makes the 988 program work. The 988 program is one of the largest federal investments in suicide prevention in U.S. history — roughly $1.5 billion cumulative.
A spokesperson for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said that after speaking with a trained crisis counselor, most people who contact the 988 Lifeline feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful.
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, who leads the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s research program and was not involved in the study, described the results as heartening. The budget anticipates 11 million contacts for 988 next year. In a Capitol Hill hearing on Tuesday, Sen.
