Suicide rates among American youth and young adults have taken a sharp drop, resulting in thousands of saved lives, according to a study published last week by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
While suicide remains a leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 15 to 34, researchers studying mortality in the U.S. have seen a significant drop in deaths by suicide since July 2022 — the same month the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was launched.
Their analysis included a number of research measures, such as examining death certificates, considering statistics about caller frequency and state-by-state popularity of the Lifeline. Data showed there were 11% fewer suicides in 2025 than researchers expected based on previous patterns.
That translates to about 4,400 Americans who experienced suicidality and chose to stay alive.
And while the Lifeline was more popular in some states than others, even the states with the smallest increases in call frequency experienced a significant increase in monthly calls. Across the 10 states where it was least popular, there was a 23.6% increase. For the 10 states where it is most popular, there was a 146.2% increase.
Notably, people living in the more rural South — Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, South Carolina and Mississippi — were less likely to reach out to the Lifeline. People in Northern states like New York and Rhode Island were more likely. This could be due to a number of factors, including cultural stigma against the topic of suicide or the varying availability of additional resources by state.
The states where the Lifeline’s use was most prevalent saw suicide rates drop nearly 20%.
The states where the Lifeline’s use was most prevalent saw suicide rates drop nearly 20%.
Researchers also compared the ages of callers, noting youth and young adults are more likely to ask for help via phone than other age groups and thus made up the largest portion of Lifeline callers. This may be because they are more comfortable using technology. It also could be the result of the growing normalization of conversations about suicide on social media since the Lifeline’s rollout.
In contrast, adults ages 65 and older experienced the smallest reduction (-4.5%) in suicide mortality since 2022.
Data were unclear, however, about how sexual orientation impacted the experience of callers.
Although the Lifeline previously offered specialized services for LGBTQ callers, in which respondents were specifically equipped to understand the unique experiences of this demographic, the Trump administration terminated this element of the hotline last summer. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration explained they would “no longer silo LGB+ youth services” because they wanted to “focus on serving all help seekers.”
Prior to its termination, roughly 10% of Lifeline callers were from the LGBTQ community. And while they are still able to receive assistance through the regular line, this change may have dissuaded their overall use of the service.
Nonetheless, researchers concluded that access to the 988 Lifeline is an important and impactful resource for young people in America struggling with suicidality. The rate of youth and young adult suicide in the U.S. has not been this low since 2017.
In response to this data, experts recommend that communities continue investing resources into suicide and crisis services that are trauma-informed and developmentally appropriate for varying age groups. They are saving lives at an astonishing and unprecedented rate.