The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working to restart a suicide prevention hotline specialized for LGBTQ+ youth less than a year after President Donald Trump’s administration discontinued it.

The LGBTQ+ hotline is also known as the “Press 3 Option” within the broader 988 Lifeline. The 988 number is a crisis support and suicide prevention hotline for the general population that was passed in 2020, under the first Trump administration.

The hotline launched in 2022 and replaced a previous 10-digit 1-800-273-TALK number, and the specialized “press 3 option” for LGBTQ+ support followed in 2023, both under the Biden administration.

Kennedy’s announcement came a day before JAMA published a study showing youth suicide rates for 15- to 34-year-olds were 11% lower than what researchers expected between the launch of the broader lifeline in July 2022 and December 2024.

That means nearly 4,400 fewer U.S. teens and young adults died by suicide than projected in the first 2 1/2 years of the 988 mental health crisis hotline. 

The LGBTQ+ youth crisis line specifically fielded nearly 1.6 million calls, texts, and chats.

When the Press 3 Option was discontinued last summer, LGBTQ+ rights advocates warned it would be “a major hit” to LGBTQ+ youth — especially for those who have fewer access to resources, such as people living in rural areas. Those resources can include school supports such as gender support plans, inclusive classroom materials and school counselors.

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