Mental Health has become a heavy topic in our society today with the increase in deaths and harmed patients who may be suffering with an illness. One of the recurring problems is identifying the difference between a mental health crises and a mental health emergency. “A mental health emergency is a life threatening situation in which an individual is imminently threatening harm to self or others, severely disorientated or out of touch with reality, has a severe inability to function, or is otherwise distraught and out of control. ” The numbers to call for an emergency differ from that of a crisis. For example, during the covid-19 pandemic ” In March, the helpline saw a 338% increase in call volume compared with February, according to spokesperson with the agency. And compared to last year for the month of March, they had an 891% increase of calls.”(CNN). “The helpline is a free resource that is offering counseling and support to anyone in emotional distress due the disaster. They can provide advice on how to cope and offer information on how to spot signs of distress in friends and family members. Crisis counselors can also give callers referrals to local crisis centers for follow up care.” (CNN). The helpline is one of many resources to help people mentally through the crisis they may be facing.  Another article questions if crisis lines are meeting the needs of people especially during trivial times such as the pandemic. ”  A report by the Well Being Trust and the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care (Links to an external site.)<, for example, predicts as many as 75,000 additional “deaths of despair”—from suicide and drug and alcohol problems.”  These individuals may not have sought for help or were too much in a rough phase to know where to begin to seek help. The importance of having easy access to these helplines is high as ” “If you’re in intense emotional pain, it’s hard to gain access to your decision-making capacity,” she says. “Interventions that give people tools to manage their suicidal ideation head on” can help them through those feelings. “And we know that people are typically glad they’re alive once they’ve made it through.”  If individuals don’t have the resources or aren’t aware of which crisis line to call, it can put their life at risk. ”  It’s also difficult to say whether crisis lines and other services reach most of the people who need help. Data from SAMHSA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that each year more than 13 million people contemplate suicide, but the lifeline annually receives 500,000 suicide-related calls.” Because of the massive amount of people trying to seek help some people don’t receive the care they need and there could be factors that could speed up the call process so that each individual gets the help they need. “At present, the lifeline network is expected to take these calls. Congress will eventually make further infrastructure recommendations, as it’s likely 988 will lead to a much larger call volume, Draper says, ‘Just as 911 was a revolution for mobilizing law enforcement and emergency medical services funding and resources, 988 should significantly transform mental health crisis services in communities throughout the country,’ he says.”

Usually a mental health crisis can use the 911 number but the general public should have a way of identifying the difference and better understanding their situation in order to call the right hotline. It’s also important for more services to be available to the public that may require specific attention to reduce the number of calls from one hotline and based off this situation having the right kind of help in order to have better guidance in solving their problem.