The State of Ohio has announced that two years after its debut, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a proven safety net for thousands of Ohioans each month who face emotional distress or thoughts of suicide.
Since its launch on July 16, 2022, the service has grown steadily. In that time, Ohio’s 19 call centers – the most of any state in the nation – have responded to nearly 340,000 calls, texts, and chats: an average of more than 14,000 contacts each month.
Ohio 988’s average speed-to-answer rate is 25 seconds, compared to 36 seconds nationally, and since its launch, the average amount of calls rolling over to the national 988 network is just 2%, reflecting a workforce capacity that allows the vast majority of calls from Ohioans to be answered in-state, by individuals with knowledge of local resources that can make a difference in a crisis.
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Data on the number of calls, chats, and texts to Ohio's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline since its launch two years ago in July 2022
Anyone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis – or their family members – can call, text, or chat the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to reach a trained specialist who can offer assistance.
Reasons to call 988 include, but are not limited to: thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, financial and relationship struggles, and any other kinds of serious emotional distress.
Slightly more than one-third of Ohioans (36%) currently express familiarity with the service, compared to just 17% nationally. To further boost visibility of the service, OhioMHAS launched a statewide, multimedia awareness campaign in May. This effort included the introduction of the Ohio988 Materials Generator, which allows anyone in Ohio – including schools, local governments, faith-based organizations, neighborhood groups, emergency response agencies, and individuals – to create customized posters, videos, social media posts, and more materials promoting the service and how it can help people.
