Texans are among the nation's lowest 988 users
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Texas ranks 46th nationwide for 988 calls per capita, a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: Use of the 988 national suicide prevention and mental health hotline remains uneven nationwide.
- The service was launched nearly three years ago to help address America's mental health crisis — but gaps persist.
Driving the news: The service received 18.5 contacts per 1,000 Texans in 2024, per new research published in JAMA Network Open.
- Alaska (45.3 contacts per 1,000 people), Vermont (40.2) and New York (38.8) had the highest 988 contact rates among states in 2024.
- Delaware (12.5), Alabama (14.4) and Florida (15.6) had the lowest.
The big picture: The 988 service fielded more than 16.3 million calls, texts and chats between July 2022 and the end of 2024.
- The national contact rate was 48.9 per 1,000 people during that period, and 23.7 in 2024 alone.
How it works: "Contacts" include all calls, texts and chats sent to 988, including those forwarded along to more specific services, like the Veterans Crisis Line and the LGBTQ+ Line.
- Geography for calls and chats was assigned based on users' phone numbers, while texts were assigned by ZIP codes shared during pre-chat surveys.
What they're saying: Several factors may be contributing to the state and regional differences in 988 use, says study author Jonathan Purtle, associate professor and director of policy research at New York University's School of Global Public Health.
- That includes differences in how 988 is being advertised by states and cities, as well as political attitudes.
- Many Americans remained unfamiliar with 988 as of last summer, per Ipsos polling.
- And surveys have found that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to use 988, Purtle says: "We see this shake out in the map — in the South and more right-leaning places, we see lower volume."
Caveat: Less populous states have more variability due to their relatively smaller sample sizes, Purtle notes.
The latest: The Trump administration's proposed Health and Human Services budget would cut 988 services specifically tailored for LGBTQ+ youth.
If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat with someone at 988lifeline.org. En español.