In the 6 months after launch the 988 Mental Health and Suicide Line has recorded over 2 million calls, text and chat messages. It could not come at a more ideal time as depression rates among children and adults continue to rise. The volume is more than officials could have anticipated and has led to an expansion of it’s services to unique demographic groups. The flood of calls and text messages suggests people are connecting to supports and services rather than struggling on their own which is reason for optimism! The original $1 Billion in federal funding approved by Congress has helped more people than expected so my hope is that it continues to expand. With the beginning of the new year the line is already experiencing a 30% increase from 2022.
