New federal requirements on wireless carriers could help address the nation’s mental health crisis and improve local suicide prevention response and patient care, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in an announcement Wednesday. 

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the agency will vote to codify the rule at its October meeting. "Through our vote next month, the FCC is committed to making sure that everyone can connect to these local resources," she said.

WHY IT MATTERS

Increasing suicide rates tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compel better communications to locate callers to 988, which FCC established as the three-digit dialing code for the national suicide prevention helpline in 2020. 

Since the 988 system’s official launch in July 2022, trained counselors at more than 200 contact centers across the country have answered more than 10 million calls, texts and chats from people looking for help with suicidal thoughts and mental health and substance use-related crises. 

However, cellular calling has challenged their ability to connect callers to relevant local resources.

"Georouting means those responding to 988 calls have a lot more knowledge of local resources at their fingertips and are better equipped to get the caller the help they need, where they need it," Rosenworcel said in a statement.

Of note, georouting – not to be confused with geolocating – does not provide a precise caller location, allowing callers to maintain their location privacy.

"Connecting callers to local centers that can share information about their community’s services and resources helps to elevate that quality of care," added Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, the HHS assistant secretary for mental health and substance use and leader of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Once established, the new rules will require all of the major U.S. cell phone carriers to georoute 988 Lifeline calls nationwide within 30 days following the effective date and for smaller, non-nationwide providers, within 24 months, according to HHS.

THE LARGER TREND

In 2021, CDC said that one person every 11 minutes died by suicide, but by 2023 the 988 Lifeline was helping millions experiencing suicidal ideation. 

Telephone resources, but also telehealth is helping to address the crisis.

In 2022 the Journal of Medical Internet Research published a study that found telehealth also helped to stop suicidal ideation. Those in treatment were 4.3 times more likely to eliminate suicidal thoughts, according to researchers from Brightside Health, a virtual mental health platform.

"We found that suicidal ideation had higher correlations with cognitive symptoms of hopelessness and poor feelings of self-worth, than with the physical symptoms of depression such as disrupted sleep and low energy," Mimi Winsberg, Brightside's chief medical officer, told Healthcare IT News. 

While virtual care hadn't traditionally been equipped to treat patients in crisis, it has helped ease the rural mental health crisis exacerbated by a chronic shortage of providers, Dr. Bob Booth, chief care officer at TimelyCare, a telehealth provider for college students, said last year.

ON THE RECORD

"In times of crisis, every minute matters – especially when seeking help for yourself or a loved one in need of mental health support," Rosenworcel said in a statement. "There’s a real benefit to connecting with resources available in your own backyard and speaking with those within your own community."

Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.