September is Suicide Prevention Month — a time to raise awareness about this urgently important crisis. Currently, suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 10-14, the third leading cause of death among those ages 15-24 and the 12th leading cause of death overall in the U.S.
Hopefully those numbers start to trend downward as more people become aware of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which marked its third anniversary since launching nationwide in July.
In honor of the helpline’s anniversary, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) released new resources highlighting the continued need for policymakers across the country to invest in and expand mental health crisis services.
NAMI officials noted that although awareness of 988 has risen to its highest level since the organization began tracking in 2021, new polling and a state legislation brief highlight opportunities for policymakers to better support people experiencing a mental health crisis.
“Too many people in our country can’t get the help they need and don’t know where to turn for support. But 988 is changing that, which is why it is so encouraging to witness the growing awareness of 988,” said NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. “Seeing and hearing how 988 has impacted and saved lives fuels our work at NAMI to advocate for 988 and crisis services. Mental health touches every family and every community — no matter who you are or where you live. We need leaders at every level to keep building strong crisis response systems so that when someone needs help, they have someone to contact, someone to respond, and a safe place for help. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please remember you are not alone. Call or text 988 for support.”
In the last three years, through the end of May 2025, nearly 16.5 million people have reached out to 988 for help, according to the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
NAMI poll results released in July showed awareness of 988 is at an all-time high, with 75 percent of respondents having at least heard of 988, and 28 percent reporting they are familiar with the service. This is a dramatic increase from September 2022, nearly a year after 988 became available, when just 44 percent said they were aware and 14 expressed being familiar with it. It also represents an improvement from just a year ago when 67 percent reported awareness and 23 percent said they were familiar.
However, researchers noted that recent changes announced to the LGBTQ+ specialized services in 988 — namely, the elimination of the specialized and lifesaving services for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults within the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — may be contributing to people believing that all of 988 is impacted. Only 9 percent of all those surveyed correctly knew that 988 is still funded by the federal government, highlighting the need for leaders to reinforce that 988 is a resource and will remain available.
Research shows that LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. The specialized services line for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults was launched via a pilot in late 2022 as a strategy to reach this at-risk population. Since that time, according to SAMHSA, the line had nearly 1.3 million contacts, representing roughly 10 percent of all 988 calls, texts and chats.
NAMI’s Chief Advocacy Officer Hannah Wesolowski said in a statement following the June funding cut announcement that “these specialized services save young people’s lives. The importance of talking to someone who understands your experience or has a shared experience with you is invaluable. For our LGBTQ+ young people, having a safe, supportive space that they can trust and talking with someone who understands and validates you is critical. We want our LGBTQ+ kids to know that we stand with them.”
While the administration officially closed the national suicide lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth in July, the Trevor Project’s crisis services remain available to young people in need. Crisis counselors trained to support LGBTQ+ young people can still be reached 24/7 for those struggling with issues, such as coming out, LGBTQ+ identity, depression and suicide.
Additional findings from NAMI’s survey show that not only are more people reaching out to 988, they are also getting the help they need. Eight percent of respondents said they have contacted 988 for themselves or someone else, and 71 percent indicated they got some or all of the help they needed. More than half of people (54 percent) said that speaking to someone immediately is the most important factor in contacting 988 in a crisis, but about half (46 percent) also said they aren’t sure when a situation is serious enough to contact 988. Researchers noted that both findings point to the need to continue investing in and educating people about this resource.
Schools play a vital role in spreading awareness. In addition to polling results, NAMI also released its latest state legislative issue brief on crisis services, Trends in State Policy: 988 and Reimagining Crisis Response, which found that at least 25 states require schools list 988 as a resource on student ID cards.
Although California was not one of these states, state law requires student IDs for every child in grades 7-12 to have suicide prevention information printed on the back.
