4 Years Later, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Shows Successes and Opportunities for Improvement

Since its launch, the 988 Lifeline has received more than 23 million contacts, including more than 15 million calls, 4 million texts, and 3 million chats. The number of total contacts increased 11.5% from the first quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026, demonstrating substantial growth and demand for these services. The rise in use also underscores the continued unmet mental health needs in the United States, and the critical role that the crisis response system plays in suicide prevention.