Charted: 988 awareness still low
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Public awareness of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline is growing but still low, new survey data from University of Pennsylvania found.
Why it matters: Calls and texts to 988 are increasing. Still, the hotline can't help someone if they don't know about it, said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center.
What they found: 15% of people surveyed in September said they knew of the hotline and correctly identified its number as 988 in an open-ended format.
- That's up from 11% of survey respondents in August 2023.
- Just 1% of September respondents reported the suicide hotline as 911, down from 4% the year prior.
Yes, but: The survey doesn't show a significant increase in knowledge of 988 between October 2023 and September 2024.
- The federal government in June launched an eight-month ad campaign for 988 awareness.
- About 1,745 U.S. adults responded to the September survey, up from about 1,480 in August 2023.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Ayuda disponible en español.
