988, the New Mental Health Hotline, Just Launched—Here’s What You Need to Know
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An emergency hotline that’s the mental health equivalent of 911 is now live in the U.S. The number is 988 and it connects callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which operates under the number 800-273-8255.
The new number, which opened July 16, is part of a $282 million government effort for suicide prevention and crisis care services. The 988 number was designated by Congress in 2020 to be operated through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which has been in existence since 2005.
But what is 988, exactly, and how does this all work? Here’s what you need to know.
What is 988 and what does it do?
Technically, 988 isn’t providing a new service—the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has been around for decades. However, shifting to an easy-to-remember number is expected to increase calls for people who are in need of help.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline currently helps thousands of people work through mental health crisis situations every day, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The way the number works is simple: You call, text, or chat through it and are connected with a mental health professional who can help. The Lifeline is made up of a network of more than 200 local and state-funded crises centers across the U.S. with calls routed to the closest center based on area code.
These calls are answered by local counselors who know community mental health resources and can provide referrals to local services, the Lifeline explains. “The counselor will listen, offer support, and work together with the caller to develop a plan for safety and recovery,” says William Zimmermann, L.C.S.W., program manager at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care and New Jersey Suicide Prevention Hopeline, a National Lifeline back-up center
Why is this needed?
Mental health experts applaud this move—and stress its importance. “The potential benefit of 988 is tremendous,” Zimmermann says. “During a crisis, quick access to support and care can improve outcomes.”
Having an easy-to-remember three-digit number for mental health emergencies “changes the perception” of what to do in a mental health crisis, says Thea Gallagher, Psy.D., clinical assistant professor of psychology at NYU Langone Health and co-host of the Mind in View podcast. “It sets the tone that you can have a mental health emergency and that’s important like having a physical emergency, too,” she says.
It also helps break the stigma that’s often associated with mental health issues, she says. “It shows that this is for anybody and everybody,” Gallagher says. “If you’re struggling, call, we’re here for you. That’s what having this says.”
Accessibility is important, points out Kelly Green, Ph.D., senior research investigator with the Penn Center for the Prevention of Suicide. “This is for anyone having suicidal thoughts or emotional distress,” she says. “If you’re worried about a friend or loved one and aren’t sure how best to support them, you don’t have to wait until suicidal thoughts or distress is severe. You can call now.”
A three-digit number, in particular, is easy to remember, and that’s crucial, says Arianna Galligher, L.I.S.W.-S, associate director of the STAR Trauma Recovery Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “If a person can’t remember the phone number to call, they’re not going to call, so they’re not going to be able to access the support they need,” she says. Clinical psychologist John Mayer, Ph.D., author of Family Fit: Find Your Balance in Life, says the three-digit number is a “fantastic idea, because when people are in distress, memory is always affected and remembering numbers not frequently used is impossible.”
While people are often urged to call 911 in a mental health crisis, having a 988 number directs them to someone who actually is trained in the area where they need help versus overall law enforcement which may not know how to react properly, Zimmermann says. “988 will provide an alternative to law enforcement as the primary intervention for mental health crisis,” he says.
The 988 number is expected to be huge for mental health—so huge that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is planning to wait a year to advertise it to ensure they have the infrastructure to support all the calls, Green says. But, if you need mental health support, it’s good to know that three simple digits will connect you to help ASAP.
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