Read the Highlights
Download the executive summary of highlights from the report
In the inaugural 988 Formative Research study, participants indicated that when they’re struggling with their mental health or are in crisis, they most often turn to their spouse/partner, mother/caregiver, siblings, and friends for help and advice. These trusted messengers are also the ones that participants said they would most trust information on 988 from, indicating their vital role in helping encourage, recommend, and influence their loved ones/close connections to seek support through 988.
The second study in this project is focused on the trusted messengers among populations that are disproportionately impacted by suicide. Trusted messengers are the individuals who people turn to for trusted, unbiased information and help when they’re struggling with their mental health or in crisis.
Continue reading to learn more about the study findings, and to access the full research study and the communication toolkit.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Messaging and Communications to Trusted Messengers of People Disproportionately Impacted by Suicide
The findings in this report provide a deeper look into how trusted messengers to people in groups disproportionately impacted by suicide view and/or access mental health resources and crisis services, and how to best develop messaging to encourage use and/or access to 988.
Key insights from the study include:
- The majority of trusted messengers across all cohorts believe they could recognize changes in their loved one or close connection.
- About a third of participants say they have experienced a mental health crisis with their loved one/connection.
- Spouses/partners and friends are more likely to be aware/heard of and are somewhat familiar with 988 compared to other groups.
- When they have heard about it, trusted messengers are most likely to have heard about 988 being available 24/7 and free.
- Most trusted messengers feel 988 is very/extremely valuable, especially people with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander loved ones/close connections.
- The majority of trusted messengers would consider using/recommending 988 when their loved one/close connection is struggling or in crisis.
- Above all, trusted messengers would consider using 988 to learn how to best support their loved one/close connection when they’re struggling or in crisis.
- People who are not open to using 988 as a resource cited a variety of barriers: privacy, potential damage to relationships, and lack of knowledge.
- Most trusted messengers found the foundational frame extremely/very helpful in explaining 988, though less so for trusted messengers to older rural men 49+.
- Most trusted messengers also said the foundational frame would motivate them to recommend 988 to a loved one/close connection if they were in a mental health situation or crisis, particularly mothers/caregivers.
- When forced to choose between the two conditional frames, trusted messengers gravitated much more to the You’re Not Alone frame than Identifying Crisis.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Communication Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to help organizations that reach the public―including nonprofits, state and local government entities and others—build awareness and trust in 988 among trusted messengers to people disproportionately impacted by suicide.
Communicators can use this toolkit as a resource to craft messaging, build campaigns, and test calls to action with trusted messengers of people who are disproportionally impacted by suicide to educate and increase usage of 988.
Key messaging insights from the toolkit include:
- Roughly half of all trusted messengers said they have heard of 988, and fewer say they are familiar with it or have used it. Many trusted messengers have questions about 988’s specifics, such as what happens when someone calls, how counselors are trained, how credible the service is, and more. Starting messaging with key themes (24/7 access, no cost, confidentiality), as well as specific details about the service will help assuage these concerns to make trusted messengers more likely to put their trust in 988 for their loved ones.
- People want to know that 988 counselors will protect their privacy (or that of their loved one), and that conversations are confidential. It’s also important that campaign messaging—as well as messaging from 988 counselors themselves—not sound artificial or scripted.
- Many trusted messengers in the study want to ensure that the person on the other end of the line is real (not an automated service), and that they’re adequately trained to help them and their loved one get resources and help.
- Trusted messengers in the study who said they’re aware of 988 are most familiar with it being available 24/7 and at no cost. Trusted messengers of people who are struggling with mental health want assurance that they can call/text/chat 988 whenever they need someone to talk to, for free (in accordance with state and local regulations/requirements).
Help Promote the 988 Formative Research
Use these materials to help disseminate findings.