Health officials address rising suicide rates among Black youth at 988 awareness event at Harris-Stowe

ST. LOUIS — Federal health officials stopped at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis on Thursday as part of a nationwide tour to mark the one-year anniversary of the launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and raise awareness about the service.

They chose the public historically Black university because students there are representative of a demographic group that is experiencing an alarming rise in suicides rates.

From 2018 to 2021, suicides increased by 37% among Black youth and young adults ages 10 to 24 — more than any other racial demographic, according to a recent federal study.

During a panel discussion with state and local leaders in a university auditorium, Monica Johnson, director of the 988 office for the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, spoke directly to the first two rows of young Black men sitting in front of her, including members of the Harris-Stowe basketball team.

As the mother of two young men, ages 18 and 21, Johnson said she’s learning that everyone experiences times when they are not their best selves emotionally, and it’s important to not wait for a crisis before seeking help.

“For the young men that look like my young sons, I want you to remember, if nothing else, the number 988,” Johnson said. “Because if you are ever in a space where you are not sure who to talk to you, you are feeling some type of way, you don’t have a name for it, 988 is there for you.”

She made them promise to tell three other people about 988. “I promise Mrs. Johnson,” they chimed.

Last July, the 11-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline made the switch to 988 with hopes that the easy-to-remember number will become as top-of-mind as 911 is for emergencies, encouraging more people to seek help.

Dialing or texting 988 connects people to crisis specialists who are trained to assess, stabilize and make referrals to appropriate care. If needed, a mobile crisis intervention team may visit in person.

Calls first go to the closest local crisis call center. In Missouri, there are six, plus one text line. A nationwide backup center answers if local sites are overwhelmed.

Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, who attended the Harris-Stowe event, touted Missouri’s 94% in-state answer rate — consistently among the top in the country.

Overall, state crisis centers have handled 51,000 calls, 6,200 texts and 8,100 chats through 988lifeline.org, Kehoe said.

Missouri has dedicated almost $30 million to strengthen services offered through 988 over the past two years, he said.

Bart Andrews, chief clinical officer for Behavioral Health Response, which handles the 988 service for much of eastern Missouri, said Thursday that calls have more than doubled since the launch.

Panel member Daniel Guest, a peer crisis counselor for Behavioral Health Response, said he began struggling with depression in college. Several years later, he said, he attempted suicide before getting help through a crisis line.

College can be especially stressful for Black students, Guest said. They may be especially worried about funding for school or how to get between their job and classes. Many have to support their parents and siblings. Doubt often creeps in.

“We need you not just for parties and stepper-shows. We need you to invest in a service mindset to help each other out across campus,” he told the crowd. “We are in this together and this is the only way we are going to be successful.”

Sean Joe, professor of social development at Washington University, told students at the event that their friends might not say they are depressed. They may start drinking and partying more, or become withdrawn.

“At some point, you are going to have to be a lifesaver,” Joe said. “And it might be as simple as 988, to connect them to people and resources that you don’t know.”

He has had to do it a lot, he said. “As a friend, I have to be my brother’s keeper.”

Tashlyn Whitworth, a junior at Harris-Stowe, shared how growing up, her community and family never talked about mental health. She weathered her storms by herself, she said.

But when she started college, she realized she couldn’t do that anymore. She started a group called Women’s Wellness Org, which meets together twice a month to discuss mental wellness.

“We just want to show each other we don’t have to struggle alone. It’s OK to not be OK,” Whitworth said. “We just have to be our best selves. We have to want better for ourselves.”