After the U.S. launched 988, a new shortened phone number for the national suicide and crisis hotline, suicide deaths among adolescents and young adults dropped 11% compared to projected rates, according to a JAMA study published Wednesday.
Suicide rates have been increasing in the U.S. for decades, especially among young people. Overall, the number of suicide deaths in the U.S. dropped slightly in 2024 from a peak in 2022 — the year that 988 was launched. The new research found even greater improvements when comparing the quarterly rate of suicide deaths among people ages 15 to 34 against projections. And the states that saw the biggest increases in answered calls to the lifeline experienced the largest decline in suicide rates.
