The PsycholEdgy Podcast with Dr Paul
The PsycholEdgy Podcast with Dr Paul
Mental Health Emergency Dial 988 - The US Advances Mental health Crisis Support
In the United States, 988 is the new three-digit number connecting people to compassionate, accessible care and support. It is available for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress, whether that is thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
The goal of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is to provide immediate crisis intervention and support. When someone calls 988, a trained crisis counsellor will answer the phone, listen to the caller, understand how their problem is affecting them, provide support and share resources, as needed. These crisis counsellors will be able to resolve the urgent needs of the more than 80 percent of callers on the phone.
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Mental Health Support
If you require urgent medical support call 000
Call Lifeline if you are experiencing a personal crisis and finding it difficult to cope with your situation.
- You can discuss any topic that is causing you distress and the trained crisis support staff will not criticise or judge you.
- Lifeline’s online chat service offers real-time support to people who are feeling overwhelmed.
Contact Lifeline for immediate assistance
Music "Into the Step" by Hidden
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Welcome to the Psychology Podcast with Dr. Paul. Edgy by name and by nature. The Psychology Podcast will provide you with a competitive edge from education through to registration. Dr. Paul supports your transformation into becoming a psychologist, counsellor or allied mental health practitioner. Now here's Dr Paul.
Hello and welcome to the Psychology Podcast. This is Dr Paul with you and this is our very special episode on the recent events that have happened in America where they have taken the similar approach to their 911 emergency helpline solution for everyday reporting to the police and emergency services and extended that one further where they have now issued a 988. That's right, you ring 988, a very simple number to ring, very much like 911, and you are in touch with the Suicide and Crisis Help Lines. So in 2020, Congress designated that 988 would be the dialing code to operate through all the national existing national health prevention, suicide prevention lines and also through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. So this would lead through their federal agency, in particular Federal Communications Commission through the Department of Veteran Affairs, and it was to make a promise that 988 would become a reality for Americans.
So moving to the three digit code was a sort of once in a lifetime opportunities how it's been described by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Of course, 9AA is more than just an easy number to remember. The direct connection to a compassionate, accessible care and support for anybody experiencing mental health in the US that is related to distress, whether it be suicidal thoughts, mental health concerns, substance abuse crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. The 9AA number has been granted as a solution that provides crisis care systems, support and assistance for people who require the direct life-saving services to their immediate situation. The 988 is also trying to transform the crisis care system in much the same way the emergency medical services have expanded throughout the US.
In pursuit of this bold yet visionary initiative, they first focused on strengthening the existing and expanding the existing Lifeline Network, providing a life-saving service to all who call or text or via chat via the 988 number. The longer term vision recognizes the linking of services based on crisis and community-based providers who can deliver a full range of crisis care services to meet the needs of everyday Americans. The service started on the 16th of July only a couple of days ago so any American anywhere in America can dial those three digits and get free, confidential and immediate help for a mental health emergency. The following statistics are American statistics and don't relate to Australia, but I would think the proportionalities are probably very similar, but according to the National Alliance on Mental Health, nearly half of the 60 million adults and children living with mental health conditions in the US go without any treatment. So imagine if half the Americans who won't broke a leg never got treatment at all. That would give you some idea as to how significant a problem this is. There are two basic reasons why so many Americans don't address mental health concerns.
Number one is they're afraid or discouraged from getting help. Or number two is they simply don't know how. Now with 988 there will be two simple steps that can get you the help you need to address the twin challenges. One thing that we've learned is that simply talking about mental health and most importantly is the first step to anybody on the path to recovery. And one of the myths about mental health is the idea that when talking about something like depression it might make it worse, but research shows the exact opposite. The majority of people who do call lifeline in the US were significantly more likely to feel relief and have had a more hopeful situation after speaking with somebody. It's also well documented that the majority of people who attempt suicide and survive ultimately do not die by suicide a later date. In other words, they regret even trying. Just imagine if people who were not so lucky had taken the moment to dial help and that's the reason that the 988 help line is available for people. So while we're all sharing stories in our lives, let's spare a thought to what could 988 mean for us in Australia.
What if we transformed our 000 and had a 223 or 344 or some other series of number that provides a very similar approach to what's happening in the US? One of the big questions is where's the funding coming from? And unfortunately that question hasn't been answered in Australia. However, I believe Congress in the US has provided a significant proportion of funding because the prevention of the harm and mental health concerns at the front end through having a proactive 988 system means that the health system has less severe pressures on it. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming months and weeks as we hear more about how 988 has been handled, particularly when we are looking at things like the national suicide hotline and what is actually happening with a 13 million people who will seriously consider taking their own lives in the US and only about two of them will actually have the courage to go and get some support. And the statistics are just as bad in the United States as they are here in Australia. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States, and the second leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 10 and 34. The US Surgeon General and the American Academy of Pediatrics also acknowledged the growing youth mental health crisis that has been exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic and the disproportionate effect this has had on the youth of color, especially those in the LGBTQIA+ youth.
President Trump, former President Trump, signed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act in 2020. And the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which became 988, is actually replacing their previous 1800 talk number. However, the 11 digit number still does work. It's not being phased out because people may already have that number sitting around. President Biden has awarded 105 million to the states and territories across the US to strengthen crisis call centers and prepare for the transition. And the national suicide prevention lifeline becomes the help to many people who are in crisis and expanded for anyone that expressed a mental health concern. but it's not going without some hiccups. Unfortunately, there's a growing concern that there is not enough people and infrastructure to meet the demand for the calls. Back in June 2022, research from the National Academy of State Health Policy assessed the state-to-state readiness for the rollout for 988 and found that only 21 states had enacted legislation to implement and provide funding to the new hotline. And so this is becoming an issue where federal dollars to support initial investments and planning in the states with some other states not being able to make the shift to provide immediate funding and those budgets are now stalling, which means that there may be a less than desirable rollout of resources.
Some states have developed sophisticated call center capacity over the last several years and these have been invested in early enhancing the systems and participation for 988. For states that are processing and developing their capacity, increases for the call volume will likely be a challenge. Although no matter what state a person is calling from, there is a backup system that will route calls to the National Suicide Hotline when someone dials 988. So the key takeaways are that suicide is preventable and addressing the warning signs could help save a life. If you or a loved one may be experiencing suicidal thoughts, connect with a mental health professional or crisis counsellor for support. The rollout of 988 is only in America and is an opportunity to strengthen the nation's crisis response system and expand access to care for the support for individuals from mental and behavioral health crises.
The federal government in the US has increased public investment and has broken down the barriers to physical and mental health care and giving the communities over there the long term care they so desperately need. Once again, it is important for us here in Australia to think about what might be the care and the next steps that we take and potentially adopting something that is very similar to 988. But until such time as the politicians can agree or get a consensus on that, we sit in waiting – however we do have lifeline. (upbeat music)