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Lawmakers Push To Create a Three-Digit Suicide Hotline Number (techcrunch.com)

Posted by msmash on from the modest-proposal dept.

In a letter addressed to the FCC, Senator Ron Wyden urged commissioners to create a three-digit, 911-style suicide hotline number. The Oregon senator cites the CDC's report that more than 40,000 Americans died by suicide in 2017. From a report: "I write on behalf of those struggling with mental health issues, our veterans struggling with PTSD and for those impacted by the tragedy of suicide," Wyden writes. "I urge you to designate a 3-digit code as a Behavioral Health and Suicide Crisis Lifeline. Thank you for your consideration."

While The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline launched an 800 line in 2004, many believe the number is too long and cumbersome for those reaching out in their time of need. The letter floats the idea of using 611. The call echoes a similar push last week by Senator Orrin Hatch and Representative Chris Stewart to designate the number, which is currently used to report phone service problems by some U.S. and Canadian carriers.

24 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. Heh - Boomers and their "phone numbers" by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 4, Insightful

    >> Senator Ron Wyden urged commissioners to create a three-digit, 911-style suicide hotline number. (611)

    Somehow this will end up being another $3.99 service fee on each of my phone lines. Seriously: just popping up a "don't kill yourself" chatbot would be cheaper and more effective; we need "better than Boomer" thinking on this one.

    1. Re:Heh - Boomers and their "phone numbers" by Tailhook · · Score: 3, Insightful

      popping up a "don't kill yourself" chatbot

      While we're at it we should have a "don't mass murder anyone" chatbot as well.

      In fact, to hell with your idea; kill yourself if you want. Just leave the rest of us out of it, including the $3.99 service fee.

      --
      Maw! Fire up the karma burner!
    2. Re:Heh - Boomers and their "phone numbers" by rtb61 · · Score: 2

      Well, the headline was not very clear. So suicide hotline, is that to help or to prevent suicide ie person - I want to commit suicide, hotline - I suggest a small cylinder of nitrogen and a face mask, just saying. Suicide for when people are more scared of living than they are of dying. I understand why suicide is illegal, you don't want psychopaths running around murdering people and trying to make it look like suicide, you need a proper investigation every time to prove it was suicide but as you own your own life, you are certainly entitled to end it as you see fit as you as you strive to inconvenience others as little as possible, don't want to add negatively to your life balance on the way out after all. So a suicide hot line to help or prevent suicide ;).

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  2. 911? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Seems like we already have something in place.

    1. Re:911? by WillgasM · · Score: 2

      That would just be 911 operators forwarding you to the suicide hotline (which isn't that bad of an idea). Otherwise, you'll just add to the numerous stories of police responding by shooting the suicidal person.

    2. Re:911? by dohzer · · Score: 2

      Yeah, but they don't want suicides clogging the phone lines and blocking "actual" emergencies. That's what they're trying to say by creating a separate hotline.

    3. Re:911? by Obfuscant · · Score: 3, Informative

      If someone suicidal has managed to reach out, you don't want them hanging up because the respondent isn't trained to deal with them.

      You have no idea what training 911 call center operators get, do you? They do a lot more than just dispatch cops. They are routinely credited with talking a panicky caller through dealing with an emergency situation. Dealing with suicide threats is just one of those emergency situations. (At the end of term I hear regular radio traffic dealing with such things.)

      but if that's all they're going to do, may as well go directly to the experts.

      That's not all they're going to do. If the caller needs medical attention they'll get it headed there. If the caller needs police action, they'll get that going, too. (E.g., Joe calls up saying he's suicidal and has a gun. Police go first to clear the area, then meds go in to deal with Joe.)

      And, of course, centralizing emergency response in ONE number means you don't have to remember more than one. Plus you don't need to change an entire system built on the premise that the number being suggested is how you get help with phone service, not with suicides.

      Imagine the fun and wasted time and money and interference with a true emergency when someone trying to find out why he was billed for something he doesn't think he should have been keeps calling the suicide hotline.

  3. So much cheaper than actual health care by ffkom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sure, assigning a 3-digit number is so much cheaper than providing actual health care for mental disorders or addressing actual causes for suicides (like tasking people to go somewhere and kill people for no good reason).

    Maybe this service can even be financed by harvesting the organs of those who called, thus revealed their location, and then leave a corpse that is fresh enough to leave some parts intact. Such efficiency!

    1. Re:So much cheaper than actual health care by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Sure, assigning a 3-digit number is so much cheaper than providing actual health care for mental disorders

      The first step in providing that mental health care is to identify who needs it. The phone number does that.

      or addressing actual causes for suicides (like tasking people to go somewhere and kill people for no good reason).

      Veterans have double the suicide rate of civilians. But that isn't because they are veterans, but because they are mostly male.

      Once you adjust for gender, veterans actually have a lower rate than civilians. Also, suicide among veterans is not correlated with having served in combat (most veterans have never shot at anyone, and have never been shot at).

  4. This again? by GoRK · · Score: 4, Informative

    911 will already transfer callers to suicide intervention, plus they can handle all of the related emergencies that require additional immediate support: for instance "I've just eaten a bunch of random pills" Every mental health professional in the US already has "If this is an emergency hang up and dial 911" on their voicemail.

    There is really no need to go through the expense and other regulatory nonsense necessary to establish a new special emergency dialing number for just because you are a senator. This is the same nonsense that brought us the spectacular failure that is the "Amber Alert"

    Yes, it's important. But so long as you have a million different 501c3's vying for dollars to "raise awareness" and promote their own competing solutions the problem is effectively gridlocked. We already have a national emergency line that routes you to a person trained to assist with any emergency. Please use it.

    1. Re:This again? by ljw1004 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      911 will already transfer callers to suicide intervention, plus they can handle all of the related emergencies that require additional immediate support: for instance "I've just eaten a bunch of random pills" Every mental health professional in the US already has "If this is an emergency hang up and dial 911" on their voicemail.

      The only thing I know about this area is from donating money to https://www.crisisconnections.... and attending their charity dinner and listening to their expert speakers, plus my housemate is one of their volunteers who answers their phonelines once a week. Crisis Connections handles about 350 crisis hotline calls per day, which if I remember right is about 90% of all calls made in Washington State. They are reachable on the number 2-1-1.

      I got the impression that most calls are NOT emergencies. And that callers are put off by 911 because it's been drummed into them to only call 911 in case of emergencies. The people are calling 211 for support -- moments of crisis, domestic violence, uncertainty or loneliness. Where do I get food and shelter? My utilities have been turned off and I don't know what to do? I can't make rent and I'm being kicked out and I don't know whom to turn to? I'm lonely and don't have anyone and am worried I'll slide back into drugs? Not all of them (I believe only few of them) are right at the point of a suicide emergency intervention. Imagine if you call 911 and they ask you if you want police, fire service or ambulance, and you tell them you just need someone to talk to because you've run out of money and can't make rent and despair of what to do for your kids over Christmas. I don't think that would go down well with an impatient 911 operator who needs to quickly handle urgent emergencies.

      The other thing that struck me is how Crisis Connections believes it urgently needs to invest more in texting -- a modern generation has grown up where a phone call is too big an obstacle (so imagine how they'd feel with 911!). Crisis Connections wants to meet them where they're at, i.e. over text messages.

  5. Help by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Will it help people to kill themselves as cleanly and painfully as possible? Or is one of those, "People shouldn't have the right to end their life, so let's pretend like we care so they may live another day"? Let's be honest, most people don't want to have to deal with people who are suicidal.

    It's not fun. It's not about, "People don't love me". It is about the idea that people who don't have a purpose may want to end their life. It's little wonder vets have that problem when they spend a considerable amount of time being told their purpose. And the elderly often do get to a point where they don't have particular reason to live and would rather give as much of their wealth to their loved ones instead of just burning through it and hoping they die naturally first with possibly lots of suffering along the way.

    So, is the goal to help? Or make you feel better about yourself?

    1. Re:Help by squiggleslash · · Score: 2

      Suicide due to depression or other mental health problems is a medical emergency that a person can recover from.

      That's the propaganda, yeah. The question that nobody ever answers when I put it out there is that given it's unlikely a negative self destructive trait would survive very long in human evolution, and given the psychiatrists BS about depression is that it is exactly such a destructive trait - a genetic disease that somehow passes from one generation to the next yet also "encourages" suicide, is it just not a teeny bit obvious that something more that's going on?

      Here's the reality, and fuck my karma for pointing it out: SUICIDAL THOUGHTS CAUSE DEPRESSION, NOT VICE VERSA. Depression is literally a mental disorder that stops you from doing anything other than the bare minimum. Isn't it a billion times more likely that depression evolved as a method to prevent people from killing themselves in seemingly hopeless cases?

      Is it really a surprise that the suicide rate for people on anti-depressants is higher than control groups not on them?

      Suicide hotlines are like regexes: you have a problem. You try to solve it by calling a suicide hotline, with the result that you're hospitalized. Congrats, now you have two problems.

      You're now even more in debt than you were before. You've probably lost your job. Your family and other loved ones are now upset. You MIGHT still be alive at the end of it, but you've just been denied a solution and forced to live a life you really don't want to live. You still have every single problem that resulted in you wanting to die in the first place.

      Want to reduce suicides? Do what you can to prevent major problems before someone gets to the point that they're flailing for help. To do otherwise, to simply wait until the problems get so big that they've overwhelmed the victim, and then turn around and say "Tough shit, you're now sentenced to a life where you have to live in utter misery because we're going to emotionally blackmail you into staying alive, together with pumping you full of drugs that'll make you not you" is fucked up.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  6. Won't someone think of the medical profession by AHuxley · · Score: 2

    Why does the government want to replace people working long hours in the community with a new service?

    The use of a hospital, doctor, nurse and the well understood billing systems. All in place, ready to help.
    The overtime for the police. Ready to respond.
    The ambulance needed.
    Thats jobs, professions, education, work, over time, pensions and billing.
    To be replaced by a phone?

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  7. Re:Easy to remember. by Tablizer · · Score: 2

    611 for suicide, 911 for extroverted suicide. 311 for a really delicious guacamole recipe.

    And 116 for the dyslexicly depressed.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  8. Re:Easy to remember. by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

    611 for suicide, 911 for extroverted suicide. 311 for a really delicious guacamole recipe.

    I guess the 666 calls will be routed to me . . .

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  9. Symptoms vs Sources by TimMD909 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seems like a lawmaker trying to look like he's giving a fuck, but doesn't because he hasn't thought this through at all. We already have enough trouble staffing 911 centers in different parts of the country. Now he wants to make that strain twice as bad, when the existing services aren't so bad now.

    Years ago, I had a suicidal friend call me at zero dark thirty. After talking to her for a bit, I told her I was going to call 911 for her, then call her right back. After giving 911 her address/contact information and my contact information, I called her back. Within I want to say 8 minutes, there was someone at her door to make sure she was safe. All people acted professionally, and she got urgent mental health care. How exactly can improve this scenario?

    Put another way, I think the senator has absolutely no idea how to handle the suicide rates. If he had spent any time on the ground talking with people, a story like mine should not be uncommon. I'm sure there's parts of the country where my story is rare or non-existent, however, I view that as a job for local governments. Reducing suicide is about solving personal issues that primarily manifest at the local community level. Trying to do anything from the federal level seems foolish and reckless.

    1. Re:Symptoms vs Sources by Arzaboa · · Score: 2

      I'm glad that all of this worked out well for the two of you.

      I'm not sure that most people want the police, who can then ticket, arrest, and jail someone for some other issue going on inside their home. What about folks with warrants? What about the folks that have a child at home where CPS might take them? What about the public who are listening to the police radio traffic and reporting on the calls made, as most local newspapers do? Now these people are not only suicidal, but their entire lives are threatened to be completely disrupted, which is exactly the wrong thing to do.

      While this may have worked in this instance, this is exactly what keeps a large percentage of folks from contacting anyone.

      How could this be done better? Encourage social activities in the community. Encourage neighbors to talk. Create local spaces where neighbors can get together on a whim without every public space being closed after dark.

      --
      And good neighbors make a huge difference in the quality of life. - Robert Fulghum

  10. Self reporting? by Arzaboa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You self report that you are a danger to yourself. The cops show up, the mental health experts show up. It is on your medical record for life. Is that what a suicidal person needs is a system that will intervene and never forget? Maybe.

    The problem with this is there are a whole lot of folks out there that will never contact anyone as it may be a semi-fleeting thought, but would be very helpful to chat with a person that they know is safe. How many people that have committed suicide called a help line?

    As we've left the farms and moved to a life that is boxed in by laws, deadlines, and you better be to work on time, less get fired, people just don't have support systems. People need people, even the people that hate people.

    The question should be, how do we foster personal relationships better? How do we help our neighbors? How do the people help each without entering a bureaucracy?

    --
    No one has ever become poor by giving. -- Anne Frank

  11. Re:Taken? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 2

    666? Because suicide takes to straight to HELL!!!

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  12. 611 is most appropriate by SeaFox · · Score: 4, Funny

    Calling 611 now connects you to your phone provider's Customer Service line. Dealing with AT&T's billing dept would make me want to kill myself, too.

  13. How About by Greyfox · · Score: 3, Interesting

    An actual social safety net?
    Lawmakers: Nope!
    Medical care that doesn't require the uninsured to go further into debt or bankruptcy if they get sick?
    Lawmakers: Ha ha ha ha ha no.
    Help with that depressing student debt?
    Lawmakers: Nope!
    Better living standards for the next generation?
    Lawmakers: Nope!
    Renewable green energy that's already less expensive than fossil fuels and which might save the planet for future generations?
    Lawmakers: We really like our coal...
    Some help for the homeless?
    Lawmakers: Uh-uh.
    Prozac in the water supply?
    Lawmakers: Uh... we'll get back to you on that... But in the mean time, how about a nice 3 digit suicide prevention number?

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  14. Finding the cause vs treating the symptoms by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Show of hands of who thinks you'll end up on a list if you dare call a suicide hotline ?
    Think it might come back to haunt you years down the road ?
    ( Want to take a guess why so many Veterans don't ask for help ? Hint: See Above )

    Maybe we should start looking hard at the WHY behind things.

    WHY are suicides happening ?
    WHY are mass shootings happening ?
    WHY are so many depressed or angry to the point of suicide or homicide ?

    Wonder if it has anything to do with a mediocre economy, pathetic job market, stagnant wages,
    income inequality, non-stop military conflicts / wars, totally useless / lying leadership for the past several
    decades, the voting system being a total joke, government spying, etc. etc. This list can go on forever.

    The short version: There isn't a whole lot to be happy about in America these days.

    Fix the why and you'll solve a lot of issues at once.

  15. How will anyone measure effectiveness? by iamacat · · Score: 2

    This is presumably going to be a government service with a budget. How would anyone know how many suicides were prevented per dollar spent, if budget should be adjusted up or down and which are best councelors to promote / worst ones to fire? Would most traffic be generated by repeated bored callers who are at no serious risk? If you ARE at serious risk, how likely are we to stop you from hurting yourself or others long term in a single call, without a systematic follow up? All in all, we should be running few carefully thought through and well audited services rather than a bunch of feel good projects that nobody understands. As many others have suggested, existing 911 system may have more expertise and ability to follow up / deploy physical assets.