Fact Check: "Emergency responders report fewer behavioral health calls as 988 becomes known."
What We Know
The 988 crisis line was established in July 2022 as a national mental health crisis hotline, replacing the previous 10-digit number. Since its launch, the line has routed approximately 9.8 million calls, texts, and chats, with a notable increase of 33% in contacts from 2022 to 2023 (source). The line is designed to provide immediate support to individuals experiencing mental health crises, and it has specialized subnetworks for high-risk groups, including LGBTQ+ youth and veterans (source).
Despite the increase in overall contacts, there is limited specific data regarding the impact of 988 on behavioral health calls received by emergency responders. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Vibrant Emotional Health provide national statistics, but state-specific data is more challenging to obtain (source).
Analysis
While the claim suggests that emergency responders are experiencing fewer behavioral health calls due to the increased awareness and use of the 988 line, the evidence does not definitively support this assertion. The data indicates a rise in contacts to the 988 line, suggesting that more individuals are reaching out for help, but it does not provide a direct correlation to a decrease in emergency calls.
A report from KFF highlights that while the 988 line has seen increased usage, there is an ongoing challenge regarding the efficiency of the system and funding for crisis services (source). Additionally, a separate analysis indicates that while calls to the hotline have increased, fewer psychiatric facilities are offering emergency services, which could imply that individuals may still be turning to emergency responders when they cannot access timely mental health support (source).
The reliability of the sources varies; while KFF and SAMHSA are reputable organizations, the lack of comprehensive state-specific data makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the overall impact of 988 on emergency responders' calls.
Conclusion
Needs Research. The claim that emergency responders report fewer behavioral health calls as 988 becomes known lacks sufficient evidence to be validated. While there is an increase in contacts to the 988 line, there is no clear data indicating a corresponding decrease in emergency behavioral health calls. Further research is needed to explore the relationship between the utilization of the 988 hotline and the volume of calls received by emergency responders.
