Suicide Prevention: Capacity and Federal Assessment of the 988 Lifeline

The U.S. Government Accountability Office evaluated how the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline routes calls, texts, and chats and how SAMHSA measures its capacity and performance. Approximately 19.1 million contacts were routed to crisis centers from July 2022 through September 2025, with calls increasing 87%, texts 260%, and chats 23%. Call answer rates generally improved, while text and chat answer rates and response times fluctuated. SAMHSA incorporated key performance-management practices by establishing goals, collecting data, assessing progress, and publishing performance information. States reported staffing, funding, technological, and coordination challenges, prompting federal, state, and network-level efforts to strengthen service capacity.

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