Suicide prevention helpline marks 50 years as volume increases
The number of American lives lost to suicide in 2022 exceeds the capacity of Fenway Park, Samaritans CEO Kathy Marchi said Monday as she lamented the country’s all-time high suicide rate.
But Marchi, joined by mental health advocates, survivors, and lawmakers, recounted Samaritans’ evolving work over the last half-century to provide preventive and crisis services, as well as community outreach to raise awareness about signs of suicide.
This Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the first American branch of Samaritans in Boston, which Marchi said began in a cramped basement at the Arlington Street Church.
“Since day one, Samaritans has offered a helpline for people to call when they’re feeling lonely, struggling with thoughts of suicide, or worried about a loved one,” Marchi said during an event at the State House’s Grand Staircase. “We have answered more than 3 million calls, texts, and chats to our 24/7 helpline. That’s more than 150 people per day for 50 years. And now that our helpline is part of the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, we’re reaching more people every day.”
Suicide rates in Massachusetts increased by 41 percent between 2003 and 2019 but have since “leveled off,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh.
“Losing a loved one is devastating. Losing a loved one to suicide will shatter you,” Walsh said.
In 2021, 596 Bay Staters died by suicide, she said. From May 2020 to May 2021, Walsh said the number of young females going to the emergency department for suicide attempts climbed by 29 percent.
“We know that despite the number of painful, heartbreaking losses to suicide we’ve experienced, there are just as many — if not more — people whose lives are saved,” Walsh said. “And I’m proud to say although we won’t rest, over the last few years, Massachusetts has had the third-lowest suicide rate across our country, and I have no doubt that Samaritans and its fellow providers are a big reason why.”
Governor Maura Healey called mental health a priority for her administration and said investing in the field is “so foundational.”
“I also believe, though I’m not a scientist or a clinician, that mental health struggles seem to be more pervasive than ever, especially among young people,” Healey said as she touted the state’s network of community behavioral health centers that offer urgent, 24/7 care.
The governor added, “So I want you to know that we put just as much, if not more right now in this time, primacy on mental health services and resources as we do with all health care.”
Suicide prevention advocates say they are again looking to legislators to restore state funding support after Healey proposed an $800,000 cut to Samaritans in her fiscal 2025 budget bill. The administration said the reduction eliminates “FY24 onetime costs,” according to budget documents, and Healey’s overall budget calls for a big increase in suicide prevention funding.
“There is so much work to be done, and so many people in need of connection,” Marchi said. “We cannot do this alone.”
Marchi told the News Service she’s confident the Legislature will fulfill Samaritans’ funding request of $1.8 million — which it received this fiscal year — as the organization looks to expand prevention initiatives and support groups for grieving families.
The Legislature, last session, overrode Healey’s funding cut to Hey Sam, a Samaritans’ peer-topeer anonymous texting service for young people dealing with loneliness, depression, or suicidal feelings. The program, launched in March 2022, has recorded a more than 90 percent success rate at de-escalating conversations among people expressing a high risk of suicide and not involving emergency services, Marchi said.
Senator Becca Rausch helped establish the Hey Sam pilot during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, after she held a virtual town hall with teenagers who shared their mental health struggles. More than 4,000 people have used Hey Sam, and 75 young people have received training to support their peers through the platform, she said.
Rausch said Hey Sam has been a “resounding success” and is saving lives.
“We know that there are disparities in access to mental health disproportionately affecting young people, communities of color, and our LGBTQIA+ communities,” Rausch said. “Our constituents of all ages need support and proper resources to be able to thrive, and as their lawmakers, providing these resources is a central part of our jobs.”
Rausch said she plans to advocate for Samaritans’ funding request, though she acknowledged financial constraints impacting Beacon Hill budget-writers.
“We recognize that it’s a tight budget year, with revenue numbers missing benchmarks month after month after month after month,” the Needham Democrat said.
‘Since day one, Samaritans has offered a helpline for people to call when they’re feeling lonely, struggling with thoughts of suicide’
KATHY MARCHI, Samaritans CEO, said during an event Monday.