The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and Youth Suicide

Dave Marcotte ()
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Dave Marcotte: American University

No 19038, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: In July 2022 the ten-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was replaced with a dedicated three-digit number, 988. This followed a precipitous rise in the suicide rate, especially among youth. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 15 to 24. In this paper, I estimate the effect of 988 on youth and overall suicide rates. I show that the rollout of 988 increased the number of calls to suicide hotlines and the share of calls that were answered. Nonetheless, I find no evidence that 988 reduced suicide mortality. Using multiple identification strategies, I find no reduction following the national rollout in July 2022, nor do I find evidence that state-level improvements in call answer rates reduced suicide. These findings do not imply that 988 has been ineffective: the rollout clearly improved hotline access and response rates. However, I find no evidence that it reduced emergency-department visits for injuries caused by self-harm.

Keywords: suicide; prevention; evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-10
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iza:izadps:dp19038

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