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The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Here's where the national mental health hotline is used the most
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was launched in 2022 to help strengthen crisis response and has received more than 16 million calls, texts, and chats ever since. It is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and administered by the mental health company Vibrant Emotional Health, connecting Americans with counselors at more than 200 crisis centers who are available 24 hours a day, every day. Now, new data shared by researchers at New York University and Johns Hopkins Medicine reveals the states that have utilized this lifeline the most. 'At the state-level, past-year 988 contact incidence rates ranged from highs of 45.3 and 40.2 per 1,000 population in Alaska and Vermont, respectively, to lows of 12.5 and 14.4 per 1000 population in Delaware and Alabama, respectively,' the authors of the research letter published in the journal JAMA Network Open said. Regionally, the highest number of calls, text messages, and chats was recorded in the West. The lowest volume was in the South, and the same was true for the previous year's estimate. New York and Colorado were also high on the list, according to a map revealing use during that time frame. The authors noted that demographic information was not available when they estimated the 988 use prevalence. 'We then adjusted these prevalence estimates to reflect assumptions about repeat contacts to 988,' the authors wrote. 'Using data on repeat contacts to the Crisis Text Line to inform our assumptions, we adjusted the lifetime prevalence estimate to reflect the assumption that every person who contacted 988 used it a mean of 2.0 times and adjusted the past-year prevalence estimate to reflect the assumption that every person who contacted 988 used it a mean of 1.5 times.' They found that there is still an opportunity to increase use, highlighting that the contact rate is less than half the rate of adult emergency department visits that include a mental health diagnosis. The authors said state variation in use was consistent with state variation in funding and legislative attention. 'Lower rates of 988 use in the South, which is more politically conservative than other regions, is also consistent with prior research showing less favorable attitudes toward 988 among Republicans than Democrats,' they wrote. Notably, funding for the crisis line's specialized services for LGBT+ youth is on the chopping block. Although the Health and Human Services fiscal year 2026 budget proposal maintains funding for the lifeline. Lawmakers have spoken out in opposition to the cuts to the services that they say get an average of 2,100 contacts per day. Some one in four U.S. adults had a mental illness in the past year and nearly three in 10 high school students reported poor mental health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Vibrant Emotional Health Applauds the Reintroduction of the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act in Congress
NEW YORK, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vibrant Emotional Health (Vibrant), one of the nation's premier leaders in mental health and the administrator of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988 Lifeline), applauds Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Senators Mark Wayne Mullin (R-OK) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) for reintroducing the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act. These bipartisan leaders have taken action in Washington, D.C., to improve the security and integrity of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. After a 2022 cyberattack on a vendor for the 988 Lifeline resulted in an outage that blocked call access for those seeking mental health support, legislators in Washington introduced the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act. This landmark bill establishes a reporting structure for cybersecurity vulnerabilities or incidents that impact the 988 Lifeline and requires a study of the 988 Lifeline's cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities. Due to robust bipartisan support for the 988 Lifeline in Congress, the Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act was almost signed into law in 2024. Vibrant Emotional Health looks forward to working with bipartisan champions in both chambers of Congress to advance this critical bill that will help improve responses to cybersecurity attacks on the 988 Lifeline. Cara McNulty, DPA., Chief Executive Officer of Vibrant Emotional Health, thanked the bill sponsors for their tireless advocacy on behalf of the 988 Lifeline. She said, "I am deeply appreciative of Representatives Obernolte and Dingell and Senators Padilla and Mullin for their efforts to protect the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline from cybersecurity attacks. This important legislation will help Vibrant Emotional Health ensure uninterrupted access to the 988 Lifeline for people in crisis who need vital mental health support. We have worked closely with these Congressional champions for years and look forward to building upon prior support for this bill to fortify the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and ask that Congress pass the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act." If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, experiencing mental health challenges, or problematic substance use, help is available. Text or call 988 or chat at for 24/7 judgment-free support from skilled, compassionate crisis counselors. For more information about Vibrant Emotional Health and its mission to improve emotional well-being for all, visit Stay up to date with Vibrant's latest public policy updates at About Vibrant Emotional Health Vibrant Emotional Health is a non-profit organization that helps individuals and families achieve emotional well-being. For over 55 years, our groundbreaking solutions have delivered high-quality services and support when, where, and how people need it. We offer confidential emotional support through our state-of-the-art contact center and crisis hotline services that use leading-edge telephone, text, and web-based technologies, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Disaster Distress Helpline, and NFL Life Line. Through our community wellness programs, individuals and families obtain the support and skills they need to thrive. Our advocacy and education initiatives promote mental well-being as a social responsibility. We help millions of people live healthier and more vibrant lives yearly. We're advancing access, dignity, and respect for all and revolutionizing the system for good. Visit Follow Vibrant on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Media Contact:Divendra Jaffar, djaffar@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Vibrant Emotional Health Sign in to access your portfolio
