988 lowering youth suicides

📉 Good number: 11%

That is the drop in suicide rates among young people since the federal 988 crisis hotline launched, according to research released last week.

Researchers made a strong case that 988 helped drive the decline. They found that states with more hotline calls saw larger drops in youth suicide rates. To guard against the problem of mistaking correlation for cause, they also compared the U.S. with England, which does not have a comparable hotline.

The Department of Health and Human Services introduced 988 in July 2022 with bipartisan support and a $1.5 billion investment in the crisis centers that answer the calls. It replaced a patchwork of hotlines, including The Phone and its successors in Baton Rouge.

The hotline is a first resource. In East Baton Rouge Parish, we have another: residents in crisis go to the Bridge Center for Hope, which is funded by your local property taxes.