FCC votes to set up a 3-digit national suicide hotline number — 988

NEW YORK —  Federal regulators are setting up a new three-digit number for a suicide prevention hotline in order to make it easier to seek help and to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.

Once it’s implemented, people will just need to dial 988 to seek help, similar to calling 911 for emergencies or 311 for city services. Currently, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline uses a 10-digit number, 800-273-TALK (8255). Callers are routed to one of 163 crisis centers where counselors answered 2.2 million calls last year.

A law last year required the Federal Communications Commission to study assigning a three-digit number for suicide prevention. The FCC said in a report that there is overwhelming support for a three-digit number because it would be easier for distressed people to get help.

Thursday’s vote starts the months-long process to make that happen. The next step is a comment period before the FCC moves to an order.

The government’s action comes as suicide rates have increased across the U.S. over the past two decades, and dramatically so — by more than 30% — in half of U.S. states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 45,000 deaths in 2016. The report noted that from 1999 to 2016, suicide increased in every state except Nevada. It also noted that suicide rates are higher with at-risk populations, including veterans and the LGBTQ community.

“More than 20 veterans die by suicide every day and more than half a million LGBTQ youth will attempt suicide this year alone,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said. “A shorter, simpler suicide hotline number could be a game-changer.”

The shorter, more-memorable number is likely to lead to more calls, which in turn would mean more expenses for crisis centers already struggling to keep up. If the number of calls to the hotline doubled, centers would need an extra $50 million a year to handle the increase, the FCC said, citing the federal agency that funds the hotline, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The FCC determined that it would be better to have a new number that’s only for the hotline rather than one that’s currently used for other purposes, such as 911. Advocates say that having a dedicated number, along with a message that mental health crises are as important as medical emergencies, could help reduce the stigma of calling the number.

“Three-digit access to crisis services represents a national recognition that seeking help for behavioral health and suicidal crisis is just as much a part of life as seeking help for fire, for injury, or for other health and wellness needs,” Dwight Holton, chief executive of Lines for Life, a suicide prevention nonprofit organization, wrote in an FCC filing.

Vibrant Emotional Health, which runs the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, said a dedicated number would also reduce the burden on local 911 centers, “freeing up lifesaving and crime-fighting resources.”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, said people with suicidal thoughts can often be helped just by talking through their problems.