Calls to suicide crisis centers have doubled since 2014

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline saw calls double from 2014 to 2017, an increase in volume that coincides with rising suicide rates across the United States.

The helpline answered over 2 million calls in 2017, up from approximately 1 million calls in 2014. In 2015 and 2016, the helpline answered over 1.5 million calls each year.

The helpline consists of a nationwide network of over 150 local crisis centers, as well as national backup centers to assist local lines.

But an uptick in calls may not only be attributable to rising suicide rates in the U.S. Increased public attention about helpline services has also led to greater call volumes, said Frances Gonzalez, director of communications for the national helpline.

"Due to media events and increased public awareness of suicide prevention and the Lifeline’s services, more people aware of this resource and are getting help and support," Gonzalez said. "The Lifeline has been proven to deescalate moments of crisis and help people find hope."  Gonzalez could not comment on 2018 projections for the helpline.

What do more calls mean for crisis centers? 

Crisis centers never have a predictable day, according to Bill Zimmermann at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care in New Jersey. In June 2013, their crisis center answered 1,390 calls. In May 2018, they answered 3,699 calls.

"This work is like a busy emergency room to some degree, even though the patients aren’t physically here with us," Zimmermann said. "It’s busy, hectic, demanding work at times.”

Zimmermann said their crisis center has opened more lines to help address the increase, especially overnight when calls to suicide hotlines tend to spike.

Suicide rates increased more than 25 percent between 1999 and 2016, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report released June 7.  The states with the highest jumps in suicide rates were North Dakota, Vermont and New Hampshire, which saw 57.6 percent, 48.6 percent and 48.3 percent increases.

Cindy Miller, executive director of FirstLink, a crisis center in North Dakota, said crisis centers are also seeing an uptick in calls because more people are sharing their information on social media – especially after high-profile deaths of celebrities like Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain in June. FirstLink fielded 2,512 calls about suicide in 2016 and 6,533 calls in 2017, a more than 160 percent increase in calls in a year.

"With social media, the number’s out there a lot more," Miller said. "I don't want to say it's a good thing, but now we're getting them help and support."

Crisis centers are encouraged that a higher call volume means more people are reaching out for help, said John Reusser, executive director of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline. The hotline received 9,531 contacts in 2017 and 2,869 contacts in 2014, which includes calls, chats and texts to their crisis center.

Emily Carpenter, a database and resource specialist at FirstLink, said their crisis center has also opened more lines of communication. Carpenter said much of the increase in their call volume is due to their call-back program, in which individuals released from mental health facilities or hospitals can opt to be called within the first 24 hours of being discharged.

“We have gone to having more staff on at certain times of the day so we can always answer those calls and they don’t roll over to the next call center," Carpenter said. "We want people in our state to be able to talk to someone who’s in North Dakota and can maybe relate to them a little better, but there is always a backup center.”

Who answers calls at a crisis center? 

Crisis center staff include social workers, medical professionals and trained volunteers.

Jennie Rylee, a former environmental educator and current volunteer at the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline, said she was motivated because of her family history with suicide.

“My mom was an attempt survivor. I am an attempt survivor. As I did therapy and worked through that business, through depression, I thought I could turn this into something positive," Rylee said. “This is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, and I’m 62 years old."

Some crisis center volunteers and employees go beyond answering calls and chats. Jennifer Illich, director of helpline operations at FirstLink, said their employees make hand-written cards to support callers enrolled in their call-back program. Illich said she spoke with a former caller who uses her card to remind her to reach out if she needs assistance.

"When she’s in an anxious situation, she just pulls it out of her purse and peeks at it and puts it back in her purse," Illich said. "She said that gives her the strength to get through the anxious situation."

How crisis centers help

A crisis center can serve callers who are depressed or considering suicide and inform them on what services are available in their community for themselves and their loved ones, in addition to dispatching emergency services.

Some callers are hesitant to reach out to crisis centers because they are afraid volunteers and employees on the other end of the line are going to call police or emergency workers, even if the caller just wants to talk, according to Carpenter.

“It’s important for people to understand that we’re not here to get you into trouble or send the police. We’re here to provide that listening and that support so that you don’t need that service," Carpenter said. "Everything they tell us is confidential unless what they tell us poses a danger to themselves or someone else."

Listening to those struggling is the primary goal of crisis centers across the country, Rylee said.

“The bulk of our training is listening with empathy and compassion," Rylee said. “We’re here to allow you an opportunity to be heard.”

KIRO