Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. July 16, 2023.
Editorial: A strong first year for 988
A year ago Wisconsin launched the 988 Lifeline, a free option for people to call, text and talk when they’re in need of help with a mental health crisis or substance abuse.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Friday the line has received 91,834 contacts since it began. Most, unsurprisingly, were calls — 72,487 of them. That’s an average of just slightly less than 5,900 per month.
When the number first went into use, we said it would be a lifesaving step. While precise figures are hard to know, there can be no doubt that the Lifeline has made a difference for people. When services are more accessible, they’re more likely to be used. The fact mental health has become an increasingly open topic probably allowed more people to feel they could tap this resource than would have been the case in prior decades.
The calls are entirely confidential, unless there is an immediate risk to the caller or to others. In those cases the counselor on the other end of the line can contact emergency services. The first year shows that’s a very rare exception, though. The DHS said 98% of the contacts, whether they were calls, texts or via the Lifeline’s website, were resolved with conversation alone.
That figure is more important than it seems at first glance. Remember, these are calls that might otherwise have been going to emergency services. Every call the 988 line siphoned off of the 911 service meant one fewer call for dispatchers, police, or medical personnel had to divert their attention to. By allowing emergency services to stay focused, the 988 counselors helped save lives beyond those who called.
A combination of federal and state money keeps the line in operation. It’s important that it continue to do so. The reality is that when people seek help earlier in a crisis, they’re in better shape to be helped.
The timing of the launch is also important. Wisconsin saw suicide rates for residents between the ages of 45-54 more than double between 2000 and 2017. The state saw self-harm cases at emergency rooms at about 69.6 cases per 100,000 people. That figure covered intentional self-harm, not things like an accident with a power tool.
The need was particularly acute locally. The same report that showed the increase in suicide rates said Eau Claire and Chippewa counties had a “significantly higher” rate than the rest of Wisconsin. The people at risk weren’t strangers. They were family, friends and acquaintances. They were neighbors and co-workers.
The number of people calling 988 shouldn’t be a particular surprise. The reality is that most people have a mental health crisis at some point in life. The death of a family member or close friend, loss of a job or the end of a relationship can all send people into a tailspin and most people will experience those events at one point or another. Needing help doesn’t make you unusual or strange. It makes you human.
Society’s rising awareness of how common mental health struggles are helped pave the way for the institution of the 988 line. It’s up to society now to support the line’s continuing purpose. This hasn’t been a political football, and it should never become one.
The 91,000 contacts in this past year show there’s a need for this service. It shows people are willing to reach out and that society is willing to support this safety net. We see that as a positive development.
Our thanks to those who have worked the 988 Lifeline this past year and to those who continue to do so. You’re making a difference. Congratulations on a strong first year.
