Missouri’s 988 Crisis Lifeline Sees Sharp Increase in Calls as LGBTQ+ Service Ends

Park Hills, Mo. (KFMO) - Calls to Missouri’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline have risen significantly each year since the hotline launched three years ago, according to new data from the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

The free, 24/7 hotline officially launched nationwide on July 16, 2022, providing immediate support for people experiencing suicidal thoughts, mental health or substance use crises, or emotional distress. In Missouri, calls are answered by trained staff at local crisis call centers and can be accessed by phone, text, or online chat. From June 2024 through June 2025, Missouri’s 988 lifeline fielded 102,090 calls, an average of over 8,500 per month.

Whitney Shumway, Vice President of the St. Francois County Mental Health Board, says 988 is a vital resource for people who may not know where else to turn.

She adds that the definition of a crisis is up to the individual, if someone feels they are in crisis, 988 is there to help.

Shumway encourages anyone struggling or supporting someone in need to use the lifeline. The increased use comes just as the federal government, under the Trump administration, discontinued a specialized service within 988 for LGBTQ+ youth. That service had been accessible by pressing “3” or texting “Pride,” and had fielded approximately 1.5 million calls nationwide since 988’s launch.

Despite the end of that program, the Missouri Department of Mental Health emphasizes that 988 remains open and available to all callers, regardless of identity or background.