A new study in JAMA found that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline coincided with an 11% reduction in expected suicide deaths among U.S. teens and young adults over the first 2.5 years of operation. Researchers compared modeled outcomes had 988 not launched against actual suicide mortality between July 2022 and December 2024. Lead author Dr. Vishal Patel of Harvard Medical School said the results suggest the roughly $1.5 billion cumulative federal investment behind 988 has translated into measurable reductions, even though the analysis cannot prove causation. The study also found states with the largest call-volume increases saw larger gaps between expected and observed suicide deaths. The research also signals operational vulnerability: 988 faces long-term funding challenges, even as prior evidence suggests trained crisis counselor interactions improve short-term outcomes for callers.