In 2020, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act was passed by Congress and became law. It requires the FCC to designate 988 as the universal number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. The Lifeline is operated by around 200 independent contractors around the country. According to SAMHSA, in the year 2020 the U.S. had one death by suicide every 11 minutes and suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged 10-34 years old.
For more information, please click here: www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988