The 988 Lifeline appears to be making a difference for teens and young adults in crisis.
Since 988 replaced the ten digit lifeline in the United States, the suicide mortality of those aged 15 to 34 was 11 percent lower than predicted, suggesting an association between 988 and the decrease, researchers reported April 22 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. From the mid-2022 introduction to the end of 2024, there were about 35,500 suicides in that age group, fewer than the nearly 40,000 expected.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death of adolescents and young adults. Past research has found that lifeline calls can help individuals. In one study, more than 400 adult callers with suicidal thoughts — largely between 18 and 34 years old — discussed their experiences contacting the former lifeline number from 2020 to 2021. Eighty-eight percent of the study participants gave the crisis call a little or a lot of credit for stopping 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 anytime with a call, text or chat and are usually routed to their local center. Contacts to the 988 Lifeline have risen sharply since the three-digit number became available. In May of 2025, there were almost 655,000 contacts made, up from close to 355,000 when 988 began operating in July of 2022, as reported by the health policy organization KFF. Most users have 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. Along with following the real-world trajectory, the team used data from 1999 to 2022 to estimate the mortality in a situation in which the three digit lifeline had not been introduced.
The study shows a link between 988’s launch and a population-level drop in suicide mortality for teens and young adults. The authors note that their analysis doesn’t account for other factors that could have played a role in the drop, such as changes to mental health services. But looking at the same time frame in England, which did not change its lifeline number, there was no similar decrease for this age group.
The Trump administration’s budget cuts may have an impact on 988 funding. The administration also removed the 988 option to connect LGBTQ+ young people to specialized services last year, endangering a population already at higher risk for suicide.
If you or someone you care about may be 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.