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More people in Connecticut utilized the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline after the July 2022 launch of the three-digit hotline — a change potentially linked to lower national suicide rates than previously projected.

A study published in JAMA suggests there were nearly 4,400 fewer deaths by suicide nationally than projected prior to the launch of 988, with teens and young adult rates decreasing the most. And in Connecticut, hotline usage increased significantly.

Shortly after 988 replaced the old number, 1-800-273-TALK, Connecticut saw more calls. Pre-988 calls ranged between 1,500 and 2,500 per month, but recent data shows the state now receives between 4,000 and 5,000 calls in most months. Teens and young adults are more likely to use the hotline.

While the study does not say the hotline is the sole reason behind the decrease, numbers suggest it plays a role. The overall U.S. suicide rate fell in 2024.

However, in Connecticut, this was not the case. There were fewer deaths by suicide in 2023 following the introduction of the hotline, but that number rebounded in 2024 even as 988 calls increased.

This worried experts in the state. Connecticut’s suicide rate, like the national suicide rate, has increased over the past 20 years. And while the national suicide rate fell in 2024, rates increased in Connecticut from 9.1 deaths by suicide per 100,000 in 2023 to 10 deaths by suicide per 100,000 people in 2024.

But in 2025 Connecticut numbers decreased again; there were 353 deaths by suicide in the state in both 2023 and 2025. All age groups saw a decrease last year, and the state saw a similar number of 988 calls 2025 compared to 2024.

According to 2023 CDC data, Connecticut has a lower suicide rate than most states in the nation — around nine per 100,000 people when adjusted for age. Nationally, there were around 14 deaths by suicide in 2023 per 100,000 people.

The hotline, while possibly playing a role in decreasing deaths by suicide, has faced federal cuts. The Trump administration ended a specialized service for LGBTQ+ youth offered through the hotline. The service saw nearly 1.6 million contacts over three years before being terminated.

If you or someone you know is in mental health distress or is thinking of suicide, please call or text 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or chat www.988lifeline.org. In an emergency, call or text 911.

Sasha is a data reporting fellow with The Connecticut Mirror. She graduated from the University of Maryland in May with a degree in journalism and a minor in creative writing. For the past year Sasha was working part time for the Herald-Mail, a newspaper based in Western Maryland. She was also a reporter and copy editor for Capital News Service, the university’s wire service where she covered the state legislature, the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, school board elections, youth mental health and climate change. Earlier in her college career, Sasha also interned at the Baltimore Magazine and wrote for numerous student publications including the Diamondback, the university’s independent, student-run newspaper.