MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KFGO/WCCO) – A statewide hotline for people in crisis is reporting higher numbers this year.
Last year, Minnesota’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline received over 90,000 contacts.
That number this year, according to preliminary data through the month of November, is much greater.
“Approximately 130,000 contacts have already been routed, so even without December, without the full month of December, the volume in Minnesota for 988 has already exceeded what we saw in 2024,” says Emily Lindeman who is the Suicide Prevention Coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Health.
While there’s no single reason for the overall increase, Lindeman says there’s a bright side.
“People are reaching out,” she explains. “They are looking for that support and using 988 as that support for them.”
Lindeman says word has gotten about how smooth reaching out to 988 actually is for people in need.
“It really is available 24/7 for anyone who does want to access being able to speak to a 988 specialist, with anything that’s on their mind,” Lindeman told WCCO.
988 launched in July 2022 with call, text, and online chat services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And they’ve been busy.
And despite the holiday season being a difficult time of year for many people, Lindeman says that does not seem to lead to increased calls.
“I know that like the holidays it can be a really exciting time that brings a lot of joy, and it also can be a time of the year that brings a lot of stress,” she adds. “So, I think that that’s where it might get talked a little bit more about. But in terms of that being translated into the data we see or the volume, we haven’t seen that quite yet.”
Lindeman says more people understanding 988 and how to use it is likely behind the surging numbers this year.
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