TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Marcotte, Dave E.
        TI  - The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and Suicide
        PY  - 2026/Oct/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 19038
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp19038
        AB  - 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.
        KW  - evaluation
KW  - prevention
KW  - suicide
        ER  -