988 lifeline led to fewer suicide deaths among young adults, Harvard researchers say

Fewer young people are dying by suicide, and Harvard researchers say the relatively new 988 suicide and crisis lifeline program is likely among the reasons why.

The rate of suicide deaths dropped 11% below expected trends in the two-and-a-half years after the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched in 2022, according to the study published Wednesday by Harvard Medical School researchers.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults in the U.S.

“Our research would suggest that programs like this might have an impact in reducing suicide deaths," said Anupam Jena, a professor at Harvard Medical School and one of the study’s authors.

The researchers looked at suicide death data among people aged 15 to 34 years old from 1999 through 2022 to model what suicide morality would have been like if the hotline had not launched, then compared it to the actual number of deaths. The report found that from July 2022, when the program launched, to December 2024, there have been 4,372 fewer suicides than projected.

Jena said the researchers also looked at other causes of death to see if there was a general trend in young adult deaths at the time, but found no change.

"It sort of adds to the causal mechanism here that this lifeline may have affected access to care and suicide deaths among younger adults," Jena said.

States that saw a higher uptake on the 988 hotline saw a bigger decrease in suicide deaths. The top 10 states with the biggest increase in hotline calls had an 18% decrease in suicide deaths from 2022 to 2024. The 10 states with the smallest increase in lifeline use had a nearly 11% decrease in suicide deaths.

Studies like these show how important the 988 lifeline and similar programs are, said Eugene Beresin, director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital, an organization aimed at reducing and de-stigmatizing youth mental health conditions.

But he added that the program needs to be better publicized, so more lives can be saved.

"The problem is that it's not well known to many people," Beresin said. "We need to have more public service announcements, alerting the public to the fact that this is a service that's available."

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released the hotline in 2022, replacing the 10-digit hotline with a 3-digit number, as well as investing $1.5 billion in crisis center capacity. Since the launch, the service has seen nearly 22 million contacts.

Jena and Beresin said further funding and critical support both federally and statewide is needed for the program. States are currently scrambling to figure out how to continue funding the service. The program has been initially funded by the federal government, but states are expected to start funding it themselves eventually. Health and Human Services is requesting $534 million for the hotline in the next fiscal year budget.

Meanwhile, advocates are pushing for the Trump administration to restore the Press 3 option for LGBTQ+ callers after the administration removed the option last year.

"This is a unique and a comprehensive program that really speaks to the critical importance of prevention," Beresin said. "The more that we can do to prevent suicide, the better off we are."

Resource: If you or someone you know are struggling with suicidal thoughts or another mental health crisis, contact the 988 National & Suicide Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.