It’s been nearly six months since the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was launched. The free and confidential emotional support line was nationally available in July of last year, enabling callers to connect with local crisis counselors using the easy-to-remember three-digit number.
Within its first five months, 988 has received over 1.7 million calls, texts and chats, which is nearly half a million more than made with the previous 10-digit suicide prevention lifeline in the same period the year before.
“Probably the last 10 calls that I’ve been on, at least four of them have been suicides,” Tom Aiello said, Fountain Hills Crisis Response Team coordinator.
The Fountain Hills Crisis Response Team consists of trained volunteers dedicated to providing immediate crisis intervention and on-scene emotional support during and after a traumatic event.
Aiello retired from 22 years in the NYPD and joined the crisis team after seeing a call for volunteers in The Times in 2015. He later helped establish the Fort McDowell Crisis Response Team.
Based on data compiled by Solari Crisis Response Network, Arizona’s calls involving suicide or self-harm have consistently been the top reason for crisis in Arizona every month since the 988 initiative began in July, followed closely by coordination of care and social concerns.
“It definitely is good and bad,” Beth Brady said of the Solari Crisis Response Network, addressing the paradox of providing help to an untold number of individuals in crisis.
After years serving as a clinician, Brady began her career at Solari 10 years ago, taking calls on the crisis line. She is now the chief brand and development officer for Solari.
As a clinician, Brady has an affinity for uncomfortable, high-stakes situations, a trait she shares with few of her peers.
“I think we’re just really hitting the tip of the iceberg,” Brady said. “I think for a lot of folks, they faced mental health challenges for the first time during the pandemic.”
In September, Solari began serving as a national 988 Backup Center to accept calls during periods of surging volume for states who are unable to answer all their 988 calls.
Every month, Solari takes roughly 5,000 crisis calls through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. However, through the Arizona statewide number (844-534-4673), that figure is just over 33,000 crisis calls a month.
Solari and 988 are complimentary services, providing the same help to anyone experiencing a crisis. The only difference is the interminable seconds that follow after dialing.
When an individual experiencing a crisis dials 988, a recorded voice speaks for roughly 35 seconds, instructing the caller which extension to dial in order to get the help they need, and in the desired language.
When dialing the Arizona statewide crisis line, a live crisis responder answers the phone with an average speed of 10 seconds.
“Sometimes, those seconds can be critical,” Brady said. “But are you going to remember the 10-digit statewide number? likely not, if it’s not programmed into your phone. So at least 988 provides that three-digit dialing that can stick in people’s head, they can reach out anytime and they’re still going to get help.”
988 may feel less personal and less responsive, but according to Brady, efforts are being made to improve that response time.
Unlike the overall U.S. population in which suicide rates increase with age, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) suicide rates peak during adolescence and young adulthood, according to a 2021 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rendering suicide a tidal wave for AI/AN, especially for the youth population.
Complex, interrelated factors contribute to increased suicide risk among AI/AN people according to the Indian Health Service Suicide Prevention and Care Program, including mental health disorders, substance abuse, intergenerational trauma and community-wide issues like stigmatization around asking for help.
“Be tough. Boys don’t cry. Suck it up,” Commander of the American Legion Post 58 John Schwab said, describing the mindset of his grueling military basic training experience as a Navy submarine officer at the height of the Cold War. “You’re asking for help? You’re weak. Just man up.
“It takes courage to ask for help,” Schwab said. “Now, Vietnam veterans are getting up there in age where their health isn’t that good and they don’t want to be a burden on their family and don’t know if there’s help out there.
“I think programs like [988] will help them realize that there is help out there; that they don’t need to feel ashamed for wanting and asking for help; that there’s a million other guys and gals in the same situation.”
Collecting data on suicide is difficult because it runs on a spectrum, Brady said. On one end, suicide manifests itself as an individual experiencing a divorce, job loss, PTSD, financial debt or other hardships. Not seeing a clear way out, the individual begins to entertain the idea that it would be best to not wake up tomorrow. To many others, suicide is identified as those actively and meticulously planning to end their life.
“Crisis has a lot of different meanings,” Brady said. “We really define it as the moment a person’s threshold is overwhelmed for dealing with whatever the situation is. That’s a good time to reach out.”
Over the next few weeks, The Times will address the topic of suicide as it relates to the community in the hopes of bringing suicide prevention to the forefront of conversation, especially amongst veterans, Native Americans and the youth.