Several different situations can be considered a mental health crisis or emergency. These can include:
- Thoughts or urges to harm oneself or others
- Suspected or actual physical or sexual abuse toward a spouse, partner, or a child
- Someone who has put their own or others’ personal safety at risk due to mental confusion, loss of touch with reality, intoxication or other conditions which have impaired their judgment
Who should you call when a mental health crisis occurs? In the moment, your best first option may be to call 911, especially when there is imminent risk of harm and you need quick local aid from first responders such as paramedics and police.
But there are several other well-established national hotlines that are set up to assist with mental health crises.
Here’s my unofficial list of 11 great mental health crisis resources you should know about. These are primarily national services based in the United States, but number 11 on the list includes international hotline resources. All are free and available 24 hours a day unless noted otherwise. Click on the name of each service to get more detailed information from their website.
1. 988 Lifeline: 988
2. Veterans Crisis Line: 988 then press 1
3. Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
4. National Drug Helpline: 1-888-663-3239
5. National Sexual Assault Hotline: – 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
6. National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453)
7. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
8. National Teen Dating Violence Hotline: 1-866-331-9474 or Text LOVEIS to 22522
9. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Hotline: 1-800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678)
10. National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline: 1-800-931-2237 (Available Monday through Thursday: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Eastern Time and Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time.)
11. Suicide.org – International Suicide Hotlines: This is a comprehensive listing of over 60 different suicide hotlines around the world. Hours will vary by country.
It may be useful to copy this list into a note or picture in your phone or print it out and keep it handy. Then you can more easily access these resources when you really need them in a potential or actual crisis.
Here’s a question: What other mental health crisis resources have you found helpful? Please leave a comment. Also, please subscribe to my blog and feel free to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, “like” my Facebook page, or connect on LinkedIn. Finally, if you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend. Thanks!