By Aneri Pattani -
Politifact
When the 988 phone number was activated as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, numerous organizations, experts, activists, and mental health service providers celebrated.
The line has been around for years, but redirecting it to a three-digit number can make it easier to access and put it on a par with 911 for emergencies.
A month after its launch, however, posts on social networks warn of possible risks.
A viral post on Instagram reads: “The 988 is not friendly.
Do not call, do not share it, do not recommend it without knowing the risks”.
He details among these that the police may come to the home of the caller, and that person may have to receive treatment in emergency rooms or psychiatric hospitals, thus underscoring the emotional and financial cost of the experience.
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Other posts on Instagram and Twitter raise similar concerns, suggesting the hotline sends police to check people without their consent and that those from at-risk groups like the LGBTQ community or Black or Latino people may be forced into treatment.
Is 988 an effective mental health resource or cause for concern?
We do the research to answer these questions and find out if the line works and what you should know before dialing it.
Why don't some recommend calling 988?
We reached out to some of the concerned users on social media, including Liz Winston, author of the Instagram post saying the line is "not friendly."
Winston says she wanted people to understand the potential risk of the "system trauma" she claims she suffered.
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A year ago Winston had suicidal thoughts and went to a hospital in New York where he hoped to speak with a psychiatrist.
But she was admitted against her will to the psychiatric wing of the emergency room.
In the 24 hours that she was hospitalized, she received no help and the experience was "extremely traumatic."
Winston did not dial the emergency line, but said those who do could end up in a similar situation with police taking callers to an emergency room or psychiatric hospital.
“I understand that there is an urgency to rescue people in crisis, but the reality is that the services make the problem worse,” said Winston, who works as
a peer
in mental health and created an online group for people recovering from treatment. involuntary.
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Researchers have shown that suicide rates rise dramatically months after discharge from a psychiatric hospital.
Those who were interned against their will
are more likely to take their own lives
than those who decided to go.
These involuntary confinements cause young people to hide their suicidal intentions in the future, while others struggle to pay high bills for medical services they did not want.
Emily Krebs, a suicide researcher who will join in the fall as a professor at Fordham University, said involuntary treatment in the United States is seen as a necessary part of prevention, but other countries don't.
The United Nations has branded
it
an abuse of human rights
and has called for it to be banned
.
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Krebs also wants people to be informed before dialing 988, so he wrote on Twitter that the line can and will send "police if deemed necessary."
That can be dangerous, he insisted, since one in 5 fatal police shootings in 2019 involved a person with some mental illness.
In other years the figure has been even higher.
What does the line say about how you handle crises?
Line officers recognize the risks of involving authorities in mental health crisis situations.
That's why the 988 number was created as an alternative to 911, said John Draper, director of the line and vice president of Vibrant Emotional Health, the company that runs it.
“We know that the best way to keep a person safe is to empower them and choose to be safe,” Draper said.
Sending in the police is a last resort, he insisted.
Counselors who answer calls or respond to texts or online are trained to actively listen, discuss the concerns and wishes of people at risk, and collaborate with them to find solutions.
Most suicide calls are resolved without going to the authorities
, Draper said.
Counselors talk to people about their reasons for dying and reasons for living;
try to encourage them to contact family, friends, religious leaders or others in their community who support them;
they are referred for outpatient treatment;
or establish follow-up calls with 988.
Sergey Mironov/Getty Images
Only when someone is unable or unwilling to collaborate on a safety plan and the counselor believes the person will be harmed should emergency services be called, per helpline policy.
At that point, Draper said, "we have a choice to let (the damage) happen or do what we can to keep them safe."
Before the 988 number was launched, emergency services were dispatched in 2% of hotline interactions, the service reported.
With some 2.4 million calls a year, that means emergency services got going on some 48,000 calls.
These may be mobile crisis teams, made up of people trained in mental health, but in many rural and suburban communities it is often the police.
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988 cannot geolocate callers, Draper said, denying information circulating on social media.
When someone contacts emergency services, 988 shares information it has about the caller's location (usually their phone number, area code, or the IP address of a chat user) with 911 operators. to help them find her.
Beginning this fall, the hotline will update its policies to require supervisors to review all communications needed by emergency services.
988 Advisors will also receive additional training on non-police alternatives and the consequences individuals may experience when authorities respond to their call.
Should I use 988?
Depends
The 988 line is the nation's most comprehensive mental health crisis service and can provide crucial assistance to people with emotional problems.
If you have considered suicide without acting, it is unlikely that 988 will contact the police without consent.
The counselors will try to listen to you and provide you with resources.
However, if you are in imminent danger and might commit suicide, you can call the police, and you may be involuntarily transferred to a hospital.
We have a choice to let (the damage) happen or do what we can to keep them safe."
John Draper MANAGER of the 988 line
Sonyia Richardson, a clinical social worker and owner of a counseling agency serving largely black and Latino clients in Charlotte, North Carolina, acknowledged that she did not immediately tell her clients about 988 when it launched.
Although he is part of the 988 planning committee in his state, he admitted that he needed time to trust the service.
When she learned at a recent committee meeting that fewer than 5% of calls to the hotline resulted in a response from law enforcement in North Carolina, she felt more reassured.
"There may be problems with the 988, but it may be one of the safest options for us
," he said.
With high suicide rates rising among black youth, the community needs more life-saving alternatives, she added.
Are there other options?
Although the United States does not have a national mental health hotline that promises not to contact the police without users' consent, there are several smaller alternatives that seek to avoid law enforcement involvement.
Hot
lines
are an option.
They are often cared for by
peers
, that is, people who have also experienced mental health problems.
They focus less on crisis intervention and more on emotional support to prevent them.
You can find a directory of helplines by state here.
[Can Parents Help Prevent Suicides? This is what the experts recommend]
Below are other resources available.
This is not a definitive list and some services depend on where you are.
BlackLine is a line focused on Black, Latino, Native American, Muslim or LGBTQ people.
Kiva Centers offers daily online support groups.
MH First Oakland and MH First Sacramento operate on weekends in the California cities of Oakland and Sacramento.
Peer Support Space hosts virtual support groups twice a day, Monday through Saturday.
Project LETS offers text message support for urgent issues involving involuntary hospitalization.
Samaritans of New York is a line based in New York City.
Trans Lifeline serves trans people.
Wildflower Alliance has a support line and groups focused on suicide prevention.
