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NCDHHS marks 4th anniversary of 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

A hand holding a phone with a yellow case.
Jenny Kane
/
AP

Thursday marks the fourth anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The resource can connect users with a mobile crisis team, nearby available mental health beds, and more.

North Carolinians now use the 24-hour service more than twice as much as when it first began in 2022. Since then, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says it’s improved 988 in order to deliver care faster and more efficiently.

Anyone in emotional distress or experiencing a mental health crisis can call, text or chat the number for resources and support.

Rachel Moody is from Wake Forest where she got her start in journalism as an intern for The Wake Weekly. Before joining WFDD, she was a reporter and producer for UNC-Chapel Hill’s student radio program Carolina Connection. Rachel’s work has been published by WFAE, WUNC, WRAL and more. In 2026, she was recognized by the Hearst Journalism Awards Program for her podcast about body dysmorphia in boys and men. During her college career, she also wrote for The Daily Tar Heel’s opinion desk as an editorial board member and columnist.