Mental Health Crisis Support: Older Michiganders’ Views and Experiences of the 988 Lifeline

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline responds 24/7 to calls, texts, or online chats from anyone who needs support with mental health challenges, emotional distress, or substance use concerns that they or someone else is facing, and connects them with trained crisis counselors. These services are free, confidential, and available in several languages. 

In September 2025, the Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging asked a sample of adults age 50 and older across the state about their mental health, actions taken to support their mental health, sources of support during a crisis, and experiences with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This report summarizes their responses and includes comparisons to findings from the rest of the U.S. via the National Poll on Healthy Aging. It also contains information about mental health crises, including suicide. For some individuals, this topic may bring up strong emotions. We encourage readers to take care of their mental health and seek support if needed. Immediate help is available: call or text 988, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. 

What we learned from older Michiganders 

• In all, 36% of Michigan adults age 50 and older said they have done at least one of the following for their mental health in the past year: 
  • Talked with a friend or family member (23%) 
  • Talked with their regular healthcare provider (20%) 
  • Had an appointment with a mental health provider (14%) 
  • Talked with someone in their religious community (4%) 
  • Used a mental health app on their phone or tablet (2%) 
  • Contacted a crisis line by call, text, or chat (1%) 
• If experiencing a mental health crisis, Michiganders age 50 and older reported that they are very or somewhat likely to contact: 
  • their regular healthcare provider (such as a primary care doctor or nurse) (84%) 
  • a friend or family member (79%) 
  • a mental health professional (such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker, or licensed therapist) (74%) 
  • a crisis line (such as the 988 Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, Trevor Project, Veterans Crisis Line, or another crisis line offered by a city, county, state, or mental health organization) (61%) 
  • 911 (52%) 
  • someone in their religious community (39%) 
  • another source (45%) 

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 

• The majority of older adults in Michigan (72%) had not heard of the 988 Lifeline before the survey. More broadly, 35% had not heard of a mental health crisis line in general (including the 988 Lifeline). 
• Among older Michiganders who had heard of the 988 Lifeline, only 6% had ever contacted the crisis line—3% did so for themselves and 3% did so for someone else. Those more likely to have ever contacted the 988 Lifeline included adults with lower annual household incomes (10% less than $60,000 vs. 2% $60,000 or greater), individuals reporting worse mental health (20% fair or poor vs. 4% excellent, very good, or good), and adults who felt isolated (14% some of the time or often vs. 2% hardly ever). 
• The poll asked all Michigan adults age 50 and over how comfortable they would feel contacting the 988 Lifeline if they or someone they knew was experiencing a mental health crisis. Overall, 78% would feel at least somewhat comfortable (33% very comfortable or 45% somewhat comfortable), whereas 22% would feel at least somewhat uncomfortable (16% somewhat uncomfortable or 6% very uncomfortable). 
• 44% of older adults in Michigan reported at least one concern with contacting the 988 Lifeline or another crisis line if they were experiencing a mental health crisis. These concerns included: 
  • privacy (21%) feeling embarrassed or ashamed (17%) 
  • potential financial costs (15%) 
  • could lead to an emergency department visit or hospitalization (13%) 
  • could lead to the police getting involved (12%) 
  • don't think it will help (12%) 
  • wait time until reaching a real person (9%) 
• When the poll asked older adults about factors that would make them more likely to contact the 988 Lifeline or another crisis line if experiencing a mental health crisis, 39% said being able to talk or text with a crisis counselor immediately, and 37% said remaining anonymous. 

Explore more findings through this interactive data dashboard. 

How Michigan compares with the rest of the country 

• On nearly all poll questions, Michiganders age 50 and older had similar responses to their peers in other states. 
• If experiencing a mental health crisis, adults age 50 and older in Michigan were slightly more likely to say they would contact 911 (52% in Michigan vs. 46% in the rest of the U.S.). 

Implications 

This Michigan poll reveals that 35% of Michigan adults age 50 and older had never heard of a mental health crisis line before this survey, and twice as many were unaware of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline specifically. Research shows that since the launch of the 988 Lifeline four years ago, suicide rates among older adults have not declined as substantially as they have among younger groups, highlighting the need to both increase awareness of the 988 Lifeline and address barriers to its use among older adults. 

Poll findings also show that older Michiganders’ primary concern about contacting the 988 Lifeline, just like their national counterparts, is privacy. Notably, the 988 Lifeline has policies in place to protect confidentiality, and conversations with counselors rarely lead to emergency services like 911 dispatchers or law enforcement. 

At the same time, many older adults in Michigan indicate they would be more likely to use the 988 Lifeline if they knew they could reach a counselor quickly and remain anonymous. Communicating that it takes about 30 seconds for a 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline counselor to answer a call and that no personal information is required to receive counseling support may further encourage use. 

Overall, targeted outreach and education are needed to increase awareness, alleviate concerns, and improve comfort with the 988 Lifeline among older adults in Michigan, ultimately expanding access to timely support for mental health, emotional distress, and substance use challenges. 

Resources 

• Anyone can dial or text the three-digit number 988, or chat online at 988lifeline.org, at any time to talk to a crisis counselor immediately. In Michigan, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is closely linked to the Michigan Crisis and Access Line (MiCAL). Learn more about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and MiCAL. 
• Veterans and their loved ones seeking immediate mental health support can contact the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 then pressing 1, or by sending a text to 838255. This free, confidential support is available 24/7. 
• For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, the 988 Lifeline offers videophone services that connect people with a sign language interpreter to communicate with hearing individuals over the phone during crisis counseling. 
• Michigan’s first responders and their families can call the Frontline Strong Together (FST5) Crisis Line (1-833-347-8766) for free, 24/7, confidential crisis support. FST5 also offers peer support services and comprehensive wellness resources. 
• The Michigan Peer Warmline (1-888-733-7753) connects Michiganders experiencing persistent mental health and/or substance use conditions with certified peer support specialists. 
• The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is creating a mental health crisis services system for all Michiganders. Read more about the plan and additional crisis resources. 

About the poll 

Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging findings come from a survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. The survey module on mental health and the 988 Lifeline was administered online and by phone in September 2025 to 1,265 Michigan adults age 50 to 93 from the AmeriSpeak panel, including a non-probability oversample. The national analysis is based on a national, non-Michigan sample of 2,020 U.S. adults age 50 to 95 from the AmeriSpeak panel. Results are weighted to reflect the 50+ population in Michigan and nationally. 

The Michigan poll is supported by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center. 

Read past Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging reports and national findings, explore Michigan poll data, and learn about the poll methodology. 

Citation 

University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging Team. Mental Health Crisis Support: Older Michiganders’ Views and Experiences of the 988 Lifeline. Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging. July 2026. Available at https://michmed.org/AmYzV