Study finds link between lower suicide mortality and lifeline
A response specialist at a crisis center in Tampa Bay, Florida, answers a call on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in 2022. A new study finds an association between the launch of the lifeline and a decline in suicide deaths among U.S. teens and young adults.
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A response specialist at a crisis center in Tampa Bay, Florida, answers a call on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in 2022. A new study finds an association between the launch of the lifeline and a decline in suicide deaths among U.S. teens and young adults.
Zuma Press/Alamy
The 988 lifeline appears to make a difference for adolescents and young adults in crisis.
Since 988 replaced the ten-digit lifeline in the United States, the suicide mortality among 15- to 34-year-olds was 11 percent lower than expected, suggesting an association between 988 and the decrease, the researchers reported April 22 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Between the mid-2022 introduction and the end of 2024, there were around 35,500 suicides in this age group, fewer than the nearly 40,000 expected.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among adolescents and young adults. Previous research has shown that lifeline calls can help individuals. In one study, more than 400 adult callers with suicidal thoughts — largely between the ages of 18 and 34 — discussed their experiences contacting the old safety number from 2020 to 2021. Eighty-eight percent of study participants gave the crisis call some or a lot of credit. prevent them from committing suicide.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline includes more than 200 crisis centers across the United States and U.S. territories. People can contact 988 at any time with a call, text or chat and are usually routed to their local center. Contacts to the 988 Lifeline have increased significantly since the three-digit number became available. In May 2025, there were nearly 655,000 contacts establishedup from nearly 355,000 when 988 began operating in July 2022, as health policy organization KFF reports. Most users called the 988 Lifeline.
For the new study, Harvard Medical School researchers analyzed suicide mortality among adolescents and young adults in the National Vital Statistics System, which provides data on births and deaths. In addition to tracking the real-world trajectory, the team used data from 1999 to 2022 to estimate mortality in a situation in which the three-digit lifeline had not been introduced.
The study shows a link between the launch of 988 and a decline in suicide mortality at the population level among adolescents and young adults. The authors note that their analysis does not take into account other factors that could have played a role in this decline, such as changes to mental health services. But looking at the same period in England, which did not change its lifeline number, there was no similar decline for this age group.
The Trump administration budget cuts could impact 988 funding. The administration also removed Option 988 aimed at connecting LGBTQ+ youth to specialized services last year, putting at risk a population already higher risk of suicide.
If you or a loved one are at risk of suicide, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers free 24/7 support, information and local resources from trained counselors. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
