The U.S. is in the midst of a mental health crisis. Suicide rates have skyrocketed, teens and adults spend weeks in the E.R. waiting for inpatient beds, and there is a drastic shortage of mental health professionals. The COVID pandemic has caused a mental health crisis due to lost routines and isolation causing an increase in anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia, and emotional distress. The pandemic has also caused issues with unemployment, food insecurities, and housing problems which lead to undue stress that can exacerbate mental health symptoms.
Starting on July 16 2022, people experiencing mental health crises can dial 988 to connect with mental health professionals. According to SAMHSA, 988 is “not just an easy to remember number -it’s a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health related distress.” 988 can also be dialed by people worried about their loved one who may need crisis support.
Compared to other lifeline numbers, 988 is easy to remember and will be expanded to provide support via call, text, or chat by connecting people to community-based providers such as mobile crisis teams, stabilization centers, and mental health care providers. “The Lifeline provides free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health related distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the U.S.”
The goal of 988 is to create a nationwide crisis standard of care where people experiencing a mental health, suicidal, or substance use crisis can have someone to talk to, someone to respond, and somewhere to go. By providing a 24/7 crisis call center answered by local well trained staff the crisis call center can connect people to local services, including dispatching mobile crisis teams and connecting people to crisis stabilization programs. The mobile crisis teams would work to de-escalate crisis situations and only include police as co-responders in high risk situations. The crisis stabilization programs would provide added short term stabilization support and provide a warm hand off to follow up care such as peer support, outpatient services, or more intensive services such as hospitalization.
References:
https://www.nami.org/Advocacy/Crisis-Intervention/988-Reimagining-Crisis-Response
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988
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