New National Suicide Prevention Number

In a move designed to help all Americans, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took action on July 16, 2020 to establish 988 as the new nationwide 3-digit phone number to connect individuals in crisis with suicide prevention and mental health counselors. The new ruling will require all phone service providers to direct 988 calls to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022. This includes interconnected and one-way Voice of Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers (Federal Communications Commission, 2020).

The new 988 number was settled on as it was easy to remember and similar to 911, a phone number Americans are already familiar with. Utilizing a simple to dial and remember 3-digit number will make it easier for individuals in crisis to access the help they need and decrease the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health issues. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he hopes that “any American in a suicide crisis will come to know that 988 is the number to call for immediate help and assistance” and that he anticipates many more Americans will receive help and more lives will be saved through implementation of this new number (Bote, 2020).

This is an important step for the United States as suicide has become a leading cause of death, with a total of 47,173 deaths by suicide occurring in 2017 (National Institute of Mental Health, 2019). Suicide also has a disproportionate effect on marginalized groups, such as Black Americans, Indigenous Americans, rural residents, and LGBTQ people. The FCC’s decision is being celebrated by advocacy groups, such as The Trevor Project (a non-profit focused on the prevention of LGBTQ+ youth suicide), as an action which will remove barriers to access and continue to highlight the importance of suicide prevention and the specialized needs of marginalized communities (Bote, 2020).

Calls to 988 will be redirected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a network of 170 crisis centers and the access point for the Veterans Crisis Line. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 during the transition to 988 and this number will continue to work even after the transition is completed.

If you’re feeling suicidal, talk to someone. For help 24/7 call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255; the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386; the Trans Lifeline at 1-877-565-8860; text START to 678678; or access an online chat at The Trevor Project or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

 

References:

Bote, J. (2020, July 16). FCC unanimously approves 988 as new three-digit suicide

prevention hotline. USA Today. Retrieved on July 24, 2020 from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/07/16/988-fcc-approves-3-digit-number-new-suicide-prevention-hotline/5451284002/

Federal Communications Commission. (2020, July 16). FCC designates ‘988’ as 3-digit number

for national suicide prevention hotline. Federal Communications Commission News Brief. https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-designates-988-national-suicide-prevention-lifeline

National Institute of Mental Health. (2019). Suicide. Retrieved on July 24, 2020 from

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml

Coriann Dorgay