Description/Abstract
When someone is in a mental health crisis, calling 911 has long been the default response. However, 911 call centers are not well-equipped to handle mental health emergencies, and law enforcement dispatch can result in unnecessary arrests, hospitalizations, or crisis escalation. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched in 2022 is a free, confidential alternative, yet awareness remains low and misconceptions persist. Using data from a 2024 national online survey of nearly 1,900 U.S. adults ages 18-50, this brief summarizes findings about awareness of 988, willingness to use it, and concerns about the service. Results show that only 22% of respondents had heard of 988, though once informed, 72% expressed willingness to use it. Additionally, nearly 9 in 10 had concerns about 988, many of which are misconceptions. The authors recommend expanded public education campaigns and targeted outreach to address these barriers.
ORCID
Michiko Ueda: 0000-0001-6552-8090
Colleen M. Heflin: 0000-0001-9323-2027
Document Type
Policy Brief
Date
10-29-2025
Keywords
Mental health, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, crisis response
Language
English
Series
Policy Briefs Series
Acknowledgements
Michiko Ueda would like to thank the Lender Center for Social Justice for financial support. The authors thank Alyssa Kirk and Shannon Monnat for their edits on a previous version of this brief.
Disciplines
Mental and Social Health | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Public Policy | Social Welfare
Recommended Citation
Ueda, Michiko, Heflin, Colleen M., Liu, Yanhong, Yu, Qingyi, and Ramanathan, Seethalakshmi. (2025). Why Aren’t More People Calling 988 for Mental Health Crises? Center for Policy Research. Policy Brief #21. Accessed at: https://doi.org/10.14305/rt.cpr.2025.5.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
