At 988 call centers, more young people are reaching out for help

COLUMBIA, Md. — There are days when it seems like the phones inside the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center never stop ringing. On the other end of those cars are people who need help.

The calls range from people dealing with suicidal ideation to people struggling to pay their electric bills and unsure where to turn.Crisis call centers could only be reached by dialing a 1-800 number until July 2022. After the phone number was dropped to three digits, call volume spiked by nearly 30%. Advocates believe that's because the three-digit number is much easier to remember.

In addition to providing in-patient mental health care, employees also staff 988 phone lines. Nationwide, 988 relies on nonprofits to serve those in crisis 24 hours a day.“It is not easy to pick up the phone and tell a stranger how you’re feeling,” Izraelson said. Since 988 went live, there's been an uptick in the number of young people reaching out for help. Counselors can also be reached by texting 988, which provides more access for teens. Before July, Grassroots use to field 50 texts a day. That number is now more than 2,000.

Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Laws limiting abortion may increase suicide risk in women ages 20-34, study finds“Stress is associated with increased mental health burden and in turn is associated with increased suicide risk. What causes a person in need of an abortion to be stressed? It’s the loss of this option to do it,' the study author said. THEN MAYBE USE PROTECTION 1) it's a medical procedure, out patient proceedure, which is not fun. 2) time off from work or school. 3) no sex for __ however many weeks. 4) put under sedation so someone has to take you & perhaps miss work also. 5) pain-in-the-ass, why doesn't the GUY have to deal with this?
Source: TODAYshow - 🏆 389. / 55 Read more »