Who Knows 988? Final Findings from a Three-Part Mental Health Series

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was launched as an easy-to-remember number for anyone in the United States facing a mental health crisis. But while the service is available nationwide, public awareness and understanding of how to use it remain uneven across different groups. In part three of our series on mental health, we explore the public’s familiarity with the lifeline.

(Catch up on part one and part two)

Overall

Looking at the overall results, 39% of respondents said they know about 988 and how to use it, while another 19% were aware of it but unsure of the details. However, 42% reported they had not heard of the lifeline at all. This split shows that while the program has gained some recognition, nearly half of Americans remain unaware of the service designed to provide immediate help during times of crisis.

Gender

When the data is broken down by gender, men reported higher levels of awareness and understanding than women. Among men, 44% said they know how to use 988, compared to 35% of women. Women, on the other hand, were more likely to say they were unaware of the lifeline, with nearly half (46%) falling into this category compared to 37% of men. This pattern indicates that outreach efforts may not be reaching men and women equally.

Age

Age proved to be one of the most significant dividing factors in the familiarity of the 988 lifeline. Younger adults (18–24) were the most informed, with 48% saying they knew how to use 988 and only 27% reporting no awareness. Awareness steadily declined with age, dropping to just 26% among those 65 and older. In fact, 60% of seniors reported not knowing about the lifeline, showing that older populations remain the most disconnected from this resource.

Income

Income levels were less influential in familiarity than age. Higher-income respondents were more likely to know how to use 988, with 47% of those earning $100,000 or more reporting familiarity. Meanwhile, lower-income groups showed higher levels of unawareness, with nearly half of respondents earning under $20,000 saying they had never heard of the lifeline. This pattern highlights how financial background may impact exposure to public health messaging.

Political Affiliation

Familiarity with the 988-crisis line seems to cross political lines. Democrats were the most likely to say they knew how to use 988 at 43%, closely followed by Republicans at 41%. Independents and those who identified with another political affiliation reported lower levels of understanding, both at 32%. Awareness gaps were especially large among Independents, nearly half of whom said they had not heard of the lifeline.

Ethnicity

There were some notable differences when we looked at the data by ethnicity. African American and Hispanic/Latino respondents reported higher familiarity with 988 compared to Caucasian and Asian respondents. For example, 42% of both African American and Hispanic/Latino participants said they knew how to use the number, compared to 39% of Caucasian respondents and only 31% of Asian respondents. Meanwhile, uncertainty about how to use the lifeline was more common among Asians (27%) than other groups.

Panel

Finally, comparing across research panels revealed some of the widest differences. Panel G participants showed the highest levels of awareness, with nearly half (48%) saying they knew how to use 988. In contrast, Panel I reported the lowest awareness, with just one-third familiar with the number and over half (53%) saying they had never heard of it. That 26-point gap between the most and least aware panels marks the single largest difference in the dataset. These variations highlight why blending panel data is essential, it ensures that no single panel skews the results and that overall findings reflect a more balanced picture of national awareness.

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