Suicide hotline awareness lags, two years in
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Many Americans still don't know about 988, the revamped national suicide hotline, according to new polling from Ipsos on behalf of the National Alliance of Mental Illness.
Why it matters: 988 launched two years ago Tuesday, and while 67% of U.S. adults say they've heard of the hotline, only 23% say they're at least somewhat familiar with it.
- That's slightly higher than last June, when just 17% of adults reported being familiar.
The big picture: 988 has fielded 10 million calls, chats and texts over the past two years.
- "What that lets us know is that people are struggling but that they do see 988 as a valuable resource to help them get the help and support that they need," Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, assistant secretary for mental health and substance, told Axios in an interview ahead of the anniversary.
By the numbers: 72% of the nearly 2,050 U.S. adults Ipsos surveyed in June said they'd feel comfortable going to a 988 counselor if they or a loved one needed help during a mental health crisis.
- But about half of respondents said they aren't sure when a situation is serious enough to call 988.
- More than 80% said they support federal and state funding for the hotline.
Between the lines: The federal government has started to run awareness campaigns around 988 after early concerns that advertising the hotline could push it past capacity. Officials plan to continue outreach this year.
Catch up quick: 988 is performing better in some states than others. Implementation of the hotline has improved in the two years since launch, but there's still a lot of work to be done, experts told Axios last month.
- Having all the country's call centers "rowing in the same direction has been definitely a focus and [is an] important area of of this work moving forward," Delphin-Rittmon said.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or use the online 988 chat function.
