After years of worsening statistics on the mental health crisis in America, there are a few glimmers of hope breaking through a gloomy horizon.
First of all, a recent study found that the 988 suicide prevention hotline, launched in 2022, has been associated with a measurable, positive impact. The simple three-digit number, which anyone can call or text confidentially in moments of crisis, has received more than 16 million contacts.
The rate of suicides among young people in the United States dropped 11% below projections since the rollout of 988. The rate dropped even more significantly in states with the highest 988 use, the New York Times reported last week.
Nearly 4,400 fewer adolescent and young-adult suicides occurred than projected after the program began, according to the study published last month in JAMA by researchers at Harvard Medical School. The launch of the hotline was a bipartisan effort, showing yet again that critical, lifesaving work can be accomplished when people from opposite sides work together.
Additionally, the percentage of young people ages 12 to 17 who experienced a major depressive episode with severe impairment dropped from 18.1% in 2023 to 15.4% in 2024, according to the 2025 State of Mental Health in America report from the nonprofit Mental Health America. While that’s an improvement, it still translates to 2.8 million young people significantly impacted by major depression.
I worry that these small steps forward will be erased by federal cuts to vital programs. Last year, Congress cut nearly $1 trillion over 10 years from Medicaid. This social safety net program is the nation’s largest source of funding for mental health and addiction services. The current administration has eliminated federal mental health workers and cut mental health research funding. It has also said it will not enforce Biden-era mental health parity regulations. These require insurers to provide equivalent coverage for mental and physical health conditions. The Department of Education canceled $1 billion in school mental health professional grants, which was challenged in court and reinstated.
These actions will have consequences. Suicide persistently remains one of the leading causes of death in America. In 2023, it was the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34, according to the CDC.
I’ve known at least a half-dozen young people who have died by suicide. News of each of them hit like a gut punch. It’s painful to think about a teen or young adult with so much life ahead filled with so much despair.
What can get lost in the headlines and shock when these incidents hit close to home is that there are evidence-based interventions that can help reduce the number of these tragedies. Early treatment is key. Therapy, and medication when appropriate, helps those struggling with chronic mental health conditions.
Programs that teach young people better coping skills, problem-solving and how to seek help can also reduce suicide attempts. Schools can reach a large number of at-risk young people with these programs. We should support this programming in schools, not eliminate it.
Additionally, restricting access to guns lowers suicide fatalities. That means keeping firearms in a locked safe at home, and taking even stronger measures if you live with a teen or young adult with chronic mental health conditions.
A key point that can get overlooked in policy discussions and public conversations about suicide is that sleep deprivation plays a significant role in mental health disorders. Young people who are chronically sleep-deprived are more likely to feel depressed and have suicidal thoughts. Schools with later start times are linked to improved mental health outcomes.
Young brains that are still developing struggle with impulsivity and emotional regulation, and sleep deprivation makes both much harder.
Even teens without any diagnosis of depression or another mental illness can experience suicidal thoughts. This is why a public program like the 988 hotline is so critical: It gives people an alternative in a crisis.
Mental health programs make up a small slice (anywhere from 5% to 7%) of the $5.6 trillion America spends on health care annually.
We should be expanding those efforts — not cutting them.
Aisha Sultan is a St. Louis-based journalist who studies parenting in the digital age while trying to keep up with her tech-savvy children. Find her on social media: @AishaS.