When people in psychiatric distress contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline – but their cellphone area codes don't match where they are – their calls may be routed to another location.
This issue is beginning to change as wireless carriers use georouting technology to localize these emergency calls and texts. And next month, the Federal Communications Commission will vote to make georouting mandatory to ensure all 988 calls go to local call centers, the agency said.
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"That means no more 988 calls and messages will be needlessly sent to crisis centers hundreds of miles away," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told reporters in a call Tuesday. "Instead, if you contact 988, you can count on being connected with resources that are in your own backyard, and you can speak to someone in the community from where you're calling."
The new rule would give nationwide wireless carriers 30 days to comply. Smaller providers would have two years to implement geo-routing. Georouting is different from geo-location, which enables people to maintain privacy by not providing a precise location for calls.
Since 988 launched in 2022, people experiencing suicidal thoughts, mental health and substance use issues have made more than 10 million calls, texts or chats to the lifeline. Since 2023, the number of people contacting 988 through texts has increased by 51%, according to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Calls are up by 34%, and chats have dropped by 21%.
SAMHSA's 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Mental Health found that nearly 13 million people — about 5% of adults — had serious thoughts of suicide. About 3.7 million people made a suicide plan, and 1.5 million people attempted suicide within the past year. More than 3 million adolescents – more than 12% – had serious thoughts of suicide.
More than 49,000 people in the U.S. died by suicide in 2022 – one death every 11 minutes – according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"In times of crisis, every minute matters — especially when seeking help for yourself or a loved one in need of mental health support," Rosenworcel said in a news release. "There's a real benefit to connecting with resources available in your own backyard and speaking with those within your own community. Georouting means those responding to 988 calls have a lot more knowledge of local resources at their fingertips and are better equipped to get the caller the help they need, where they need it."
More than 200 contact centers around the country receive calls, texts and chats from 988.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. Go to FindTreatment.gov or call (800) 662-4357 to find a local treatment provider.