July 12, 2022
Mental Health
  • A Wall Street Journal analysis of calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) between 2016 and 2021 found that one in six ended without reaching a counselor. One-and-a-half million of the 9.2 million calls placed ended either because the caller abandoned the call or they were disconnected before reaching a counselor. Most callers in 11 states were transferred to national backup centers because local centers did not have the capacity to answer. The service is expected to see an increase in calls and texts as it switches from a 10-digit number to a more memorable three-digit one (988) on July 16. But there have been concerns that an expected increase in outreach will strain crisis center capacity. (Article here) For more on the national mental health crisis hotline 988, read Senior Director Mindy Klowden’s newest blog here!