Mental health and substance use disorder crises have been on the rise, with more than half a million lives lost in the past ten years to suicide alone. In 2020, Congress passed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act. Shortly after, the McKinsey Health Institute came together with a group of national- and state-level stakeholders to lay the groundwork for a successful transition to the new three-digit number and broaden the behavioral health system to ensure every American not only has someone to call but also someone to respond and somewhere safe to be in the event of a behavioral health crisis.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
