GAO finds 23% rise in crisis hotline contacts despite federal workforce cuts

The Government Accountability Office reports that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, and the Veterans Crisis Line each saw higher usage in fiscal year 2025, with the 988 Lifeline reporting an overall increase of 23 percent compared with fiscal year 2024. The rise occurred while the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs reduced staff in response to the President's February 2025 executive order aimed at shrinking the federal workforce.

All three hotlines remain free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. The 988 Lifeline and the Maternal Mental Health Hotline are operated by non-federal entities - local crisis centers and a contractor - under the oversight of SAMHSA and HRSA, while the Veterans Crisis Line is run directly by VA crisis responders. GAO's review of monthly agency data shows that contact volume grew across calls, chats, and texts for each service throughout FY 2025.

Despite the staffing reductions, GAO notes that selected stakeholders representing users of the hotlines reported that service levels stayed consistent during the year. The agency interviewed nine external stakeholders and agency officials to assess operational impacts, finding that performance metrics and trends mirrored prior years.

GAO compiled FY 2025 data from SAMHSA, HRSA, and VA, comparing them with earlier GAO reports. The findings suggest that the hotlines' operational capacity endured the workforce reductions mandated by the February 2025 executive order, maintaining essential crisis support for the public and veteran community.