Written by this site from official U.S. sources
Call, text or chat 988 when you're thinking about suicide or are in emotional crisis
- Top value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
- Free
- Takes minutes
- No willpower
In plain words
Call or text 988, or chat online, any time of day. It's free and confidential, and it isn't only for suicide. Mental health, substance use and other emotional crises count too. Help is available for Spanish speakers and for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Veterans can dial 988 and then press 1. You can also call 988 if you're worried about someone else.
- Cost
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Free and confidential. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- What you get
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SAMHSA (the federal mental-health agency): "988 offers 24/7 judgment-free support for mental health, substance use, and more." "Text, call, or chat 988." "Access for Deaf/HoH and Spanish speakers." The Lifeline provides "24/7, free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress." Congress designated 988 in 2020, and it runs through what used to be the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Veterans: "Dial 988 then Press 1 to be connected to confidential crisis support." The Veterans Crisis Line can also be reached by text at 838255 and by chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat. "If you know someone in crisis, call 988 and talk with a counselor."
- Notes
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Works nationwide. The Press 1 option for veterans comes from a 2022 VA press release. If someone is in immediate physical danger, see the 911 entry.
- Evidence grade
- A: Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
- Sources
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- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/988 （核对的是 web.archive.org 2025年12月30日的存档）
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Southeast Louisiana Health Care. Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 Then Press 1 (press release, July 18, 2022). https://www.va.gov/southeast-louisiana-health-care/news-releases/veterans-crisis-line-dial-988-then-press-1/ （核对的是 web.archive.org 2026年4月16日的存档）
Sources checked 2026-10-12
Replaces in the original
- If you are depressed or thinking about suicide, call 12356 (China's national mental-health hotline), and don't keep a stock of sleeping pills or pesticide at home
- To have someone talk with you, call 12356 (China's national mental-health hotline); minors and teenagers call 12355 (national youth integrated service platform); to see a doctor, register at a psychological clinic
Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you.