NAMI/Ipsos Poll: Trust in 988 Continues to Grow, 7 in 10 Americans Would Contact the Lifeline in a Mental Health Crisis

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National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Jul 16, 2026, 06:00 ET

With strong public support for a crisis continuum of care, Americans continue to express confidence in 988 four years after its launch.

ARLINGTON, Va., July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) marks today's fourth anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline with new polling data on 988 and an issue brief around state efforts to bolster 988 and crisis response. The new NAMI poll, conducted with Ipsos, finds a large majority of U.S. adults (74%) are aware of 988 and most would be likely to contact it during a mental health crisis — with young adults, LGBTQ+ individuals, low-income Americans, and parents reporting higher rates of reaching out to 988. The poll also finds strong trust in 988, but highlights opportunities for continued awareness and education efforts.

"More people are reaching out to 988 than ever before, but our work to fulfill the vision of 988 must continue," said Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., CEO of NAMI. "We're hearing again and again that people support investment in mental health crisis care, and we're seeing the results of our investment, with recent data showing that 988 is having an impact on youth suicide rates. This is a testament to the tireless work among the mental health community to invest in and expand support for people in mental health crisis. Today's new data shows it is having an impact — but that we also have more to do."

NAMI and Ipsos have been tracking public perception of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline since the lead-up to the nationwide launch in 2022, measuring the impact of efforts to build awareness about this lifesaving resource. While awareness of 988 remains steady with 3 in 4 (74%) U.S. adults having at least heard of 988, about 3 in 10 (29%) are now at least somewhat familiar with 988, meaning they likely have a better understanding of what support is available. Unfortunately, the need for care is growing. Thirty-seven percent of adults report ever thinking about, or talking about, suicide or self-harm, up from 30% a year ago, and 30% report ever experiencing a mental health crisis, up from 22% last year.

988 awareness efforts are making a difference
Policymakers and advocates are continuing to work to raise awareness, and today's poll shows these efforts are reaching people and also have strong public support. For the first time, the poll explores how people became aware of 988. Of those who are aware of 988, four in five people (80%) remember where they learned about it. Social media and television (31%) were the most common places people heard about 988, followed by news articles and online media (23%), health care providers' offices (20%), and posters or signs in public places (17%). Recent efforts to build awareness with young people align with today's findings that overwhelming majorities support policies that would raise awareness of 988 on college student ID cards (89%) and K-12 student ID cards (85%).

People are seeking — and getting — the help they need from 988
Almost 1 in 10 Americans report having contacted 988 for themselves or someone they know, with 3 in 4 (75%) people who have contacted 988 saying they received some or all the help needed during a mental health crisis — showing improvement compared to previous years. Certain populations report higher rates of contacting 988 than others. Adults 18-29 are nine times more likely to report contacting 988 than people 65 and older, and LGBTQ+ individuals are twice as likely to have sought care than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. Among people who have contacted 988, majorities report that it was easy to get connected to a person on the phone, text or via chat (65%), reach someone available without long wait times (56%) and receive support that addressed their immediate needs (54%).

Americans are likely to turn to 988 in a crisis
Broadly, 71% of Americans say they would be likely to contact 988 for themselves or someone they know during a mental health crisis, with nearly 1 in 3 saying they would be very likely. Additionally, people trust 988 at similar rates as 911, with 74% trusting that they would receive the help they needed if they contacted 988 for a mental health, alcohol/drug or suicide crisis, compared to 80% for 911 help in an emergency such as a physical health emergency, crime in progress, or fire.

Today's NAMI/Ipsos poll also finds:

Support for funding 988 and crisis response services remains high among U.S. adults. 87% of Americans support both state and federal funding for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call-center operations and crisis response services, including more than half who strongly support funding. Strong support for funding grew substantially in the last year, with support for federal funding up 17 percentage points (36% to 53%) and support for state funding up 20 percentage points (32% to 52%). More than half of Americans (54%) also believe that federal funding for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline should be a high priority for Congress.
The public largely supports providing communities with access to mental health crisis services tailored to their specific experiences. 93% of adults support services for veterans, which are offered via the Veterans Crisis Line through 988. Additionally, 76% support specialized crisis services for Spanish-speaking individuals, which the 988 Lifeline offers. Americans also strongly support specialized crisis services for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults (72%), which were cut suddenly in July 2025. Despite this support, work remains to be done, with only 38% who contacted 988 saying it was easy to connect with someone who had a similar background.
Significant education on what to expect from 988 is still needed. People expressed concerns about various factors that are unlikely or do not occur when calling 988, showing that people need to learn more about what happens when contacting 988. More than half (54%) are concerned about being charged for services, despite 988 being free to contact. People also are concerned that law enforcement will be sent to their location (52%), that 988 won't be able to handle their issue (50%), that the call would not remain private (49%), and they might be forced to go to the hospital (48%) and even jail (42%).
People continue to face cost barriers to getting mental health care, which could result in people foregoing care and ending up in crisis. Of people who looked for or tried to get mental health care in the past 12 months, roughly 1 in 4 said they paid more out-of-pocket for mental health care than expected (28%), skipped or delayed mental health treatment because they couldn't afford it (27%), or couldn't find a mental health provider who accepted their insurance (26%).

In addition to the new polling data, NAMI also released today the latest state legislative issue brief on crisis services, Trends in 988 and Reimagining Crisis Response State Policy. While 988 is a federal initiative, its success continues to depend heavily on how states choose to fund and implement it. The issue brief highlights successful 2025 state legislation around 988 and crisis care and offers policy recommendations for how states can improve crisis systems.

Learn more about today's poll at nami.org/summer2026poll. Find more NAMI/Ipsos poll findings on 988 and crisis response at nami.org/988polls.

This NAMI/Ipsos poll was conducted June 12 – 14, 2026, by Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel^®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 2,046 general population adults age 18 or older. The survey has a margin of error of ± 2.2 percentage points. Learn more about the poll methodology.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization, dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.