Will 988 call the police? Data suggests 1% of mental health crisis calls get "involuntary" rescues

Many people in mental health crisis fear that if they dial 988, law enforcement might show up or they might be forced to go to the hospital.

But getting sent that kind of "involuntary emergency rescue" happens to around 1% of callers, suggests new data from Vibrant Emotional Health, the administrator of the 988 Lifeline for suicide and mental health crises.

"Involuntary intervention is the last resort. We want to make sure we're collaborating and engaging with people in crisis and empowering them, so we don't need to go in that direction," said Christopher Drapeau, Vibrant's director of research and evaluation.