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How Teen Moms Can Use 988 Crisis Lifeline for Mental Health Emergencies

Author:
Emma Loker
Emma Loker
B.S.
Editor:
Aja Chavez
Aja Chavez
AMFT, APCC
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With higher rates of depression, PTSD, and substance abuse among young mothers, teen moms are more likely to struggle with their mental health.1 Sometimes, when our mental health reaches the point of crisis, we need support from others. There’s no shame in reaching out; the 988 Lifeline was created for this purpose.

In moments of crisis, the 988 Lifeline can be used as a mental health hotline for teens. The 988 Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Those at the other end of the phone encourage anyone who is depressed or contemplating suicide, or who just needs to talk to someone, to call or text the lifeline.

Calling 988 for teen mental health is highly recommended in moments of crisis because this lifeline provides free, confidential, judgment-free, and compassionate support with skilled counselors. They’ll make sure you’re safe, listened to empathically, and guided towards any relevant resources.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with mental health issues, a mental health professional can guide you towards the best treatment options for your needs. This article can also help, as it explores the following topics

  • What mental health crises are
  • How teen moms can struggle with their mental health
  • How it works when you call or text the 988 teen depression crisis line
  • What you can use the 988 hotline for teen mental health for
How Teen Moms Can Use the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for Mental Health Emergencies

What Is a Mental Health Crisis?

When suddenly extremely overwhelmed by the pressures of life, you might feel you’re at the point of crisis. For instance, you might think you’re losing control, stuck, hopeless, disconnected from the world, and incapable of dealing with the physical, mental, and emotional demands of your life. 

Additionally, when experiencing a mental health crisis, usual mental health difficulties may worsen. For example, someone with depression might feel more depressed than ever before.

Suicidal thoughts are a common part of mental health crises as people may feel they’ve run out of options. You might have begun to make a suicide plan or choose to self-harm in order to regulate your emotions.2 Such responses to mental health crises aren’t abnormal, but you deserve to get help in other ways. 

You don’t have to cope with these feelings alone. Before we discuss the 988 for teen mental health, let’s explore what teen moms might experience with their mental health.

Mental Health in Teen Moms

Research finds that pregnant adolescents face financial difficulties, limited opportunities in education and employment, a lack of support from their own families, and sometimes abuse.3 These factors can be extremely difficult to overcome emotionally and worsen pre-existing mental health issues. For this reason, pregnant teenagers are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and suicidal ideation.

Mental Health Crises for Teen Moms

Since mental health issues are prevalent during pregnancy, a pregnant teen might be at a higher risk of experiencing a crisis.1 For instance, suicide risk in teen pregnancy is increased by 1) poverty, 2) intimate partner violence (IPV), 3) family rejection, 4) social isolation and stigma, and 5) physical illness.4 

You might recognize some of these factors in your own life, and if so, it’s understandable that they might cause you a crisis with your mental health. However, while mental health crises for teen moms can be caused by the factors we described above, your feelings might relate more to your pregnancy or sense of motherhood.

Teen moms in crisis might feel isolated if they don’t have anyone going through the same experience as them. They might be facing the stigma of being a young mom, or a lack of support from family or school. Plus, you might be experiencing a worsening of depressive and anxious symptoms because of the physical changes of pregnancy. 

When things become too much, a hotline for pregnant teen support can be a really helpful outlet. Calling or texting 988 for teen mental health is a great way to let out your frustrations to someone outside of your life. It’s a way to have your feelings heard and validated, and develop a plan for recovering from the crisis.

Next, we explore the process of calling or texting the 988 Lifeline by answering some common questions.

How Do You Start a Conversation With 988?

You might feel nervous about reaching out to a mental health crisis hotline, especially if you’ve never done it before. Rest assured that there is no “perfect” way to start the conversation. Beginning the interaction with any message is better than not reaching out at all.

If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis or you feel like you’d benefit from speaking to someone about what you’re going through, you can simply send any text to 988. Once you do, you’ll be guided through a few steps to speak with one of their counselors. If you’re in doubt about what to text, simply say “Hello.”

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What Happens When You Text or Call the 988 Lifeline?

Using 988 during a pregnancy crisis is a great way to seek qualified help, but it’s normal to have reservations about how it will work. 

When you text or call 988, you’ll be given the option to speak to someone in Spanish, the LGBTQI+ service, the Veterans service, or the regular 988 hotline. You’ll then be asked to complete a brief survey about what you’re experiencing, which will give your counselor a basic understanding so they can help you most effectively. 

While the hotline connects you with a counselor, you’ll receive a “wait” message. Once you’re connected, your counselor will say hello, introduce themselves, and check that you are safe. Then, you can share whatever you want to. Feel free to get upset, divulge your fears, describe what you’re going through, or be silent while you collect your thoughts. They’ll listen and allow you to take all the time you need.

When you’re speaking with a 988 counselor over the phone or by text, you can expect:

  • An assessment of the safety of your circumstances
  • Non-judgmental responses  
  • Empathetic listening, reflecting, and validation
  • Collaborative problem-solving between you and the counselor

If you’re using 988 for teen mental health, your counselor might refer you to resources to help with your situation. They won’t if it’s not relevant to your conversation, but they might share specific mental health crisis resources for teens, directing you to support in your local area.

Can You Text 988 for Anxiety?

Yes! You can text 988 for any difficulties you’re having with your mental health, including anxiety. Even if your anxiety isn’t causing suicidal thoughts, you’re still eligible for support. 

Since an emergency hotline for pregnant teens can be such a supportive service, we don’t want you to second-guess your eligibility. Regardless of your specific difficulty, calling 988 for teen mental health can alleviate what you’re going through. The lifeline isn’t just for people who are considering suicide; anyone who feels they’re at a point of crisis and wants to speak to someone is encouraged to call. 

Getting you some kind of support when things feel hopeless is crucial. The 988 counselors are not only trained to provide support for people in crisis, but they can also direct you to specialized services. For example, services that are knowledgeable about anxiety or the difficulties that can arise during teen pregnancy.

How Teen Moms Can Use the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for Mental Health Emergencies

Will 988 Really Help?

Most likely! Research finds that 98% of callers say the 988 Lifeline helped them.5 The main reasons they gave are that the counselors:

  • Fostered a connection that callers felt encouraged to engage with
  • Used collaborative problem-solving with callers
  • Carried out safety assessment checks

Callers also reported a significant reduction in feelings of hopelessness, psychological pain, and intent to die.5 This suggests that if you call the 988 Lifeline, you’re likely to have a reduction in your emotional suffering. 

Interestingly, self-reported outcomes show crisis phone services may be more effective for female callers than male. This suggests, even more strongly, that the 988 Lifeline could be a highly effective form of support for teen moms.

While suicidal ideation may continue in some callers in the weeks after speaking with a 988 counselor, the call does work for managing suicidal feelings in the moment. This demonstrates that it’s important to seek support for your mental health beyond moments of crisis. Nevertheless, 988 for teen mental health is a great emergency option before you can get in touch with a longer-term service.

How Teen Moms Can Use the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for Mental Health Emergencies

Mission Prep: Mental Health Support for Teen Moms

While 988 crisis support for young mothers is ideal in an emergency, teen moms should also access longer-term help for their mental health if they’re having ongoing difficulties. 

At Mission Prep, we offer a range of talking therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), trauma-focused therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and experiential therapy. Therapy gives you the space to talk through your mental health difficulties and feelings about pregnancy and motherhood. This way, you can develop a new mindset for moving forward.

You might just be looking for teenage suicide resources, legal information for teens, or information about mental health medication. No matter what your concerns are, our team can help. Contact us today for a free consultation or to ask any questions about crisis intervention for teen mothers.

References

  1. Hodgkinson, S., Beers, L., Southammakosane, C., & Lewin, A. (2014). Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents. Pediatrics, 133(1), 114–122. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-0927 
  2. Liljedahl, S. I., Daukantaitė, D., Kleindienst, N., Wångby-Lundh, M., & Westling, S. (2023). The five self-harm behavior groupings measure: empirical and thematic data from a novel comprehensive self-harm assessment. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1147206 
  3. Lesinskienė, S., Andruškevič, J., & Butvilaitė, A. (2025). Adolescent Pregnancies and Perinatal Mental Health—Needs and Complex Support Options: A Literature Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(7), 2334. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14072334 
  4. Musyimi, C. W., Mutiso, V. N., Nyamai, D. N., Ebuenyi, I., & Ndetei, D. M. (2020). Suicidal behavior risks during adolescent pregnancy in a low-resource setting: A qualitative study. PLOS ONE, 15(7), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236269 
  5. Gould, M. S., Lake, A. M., Port, M. S., Kleinman, M., Hoyte‐Badu, A. M., Rodriguez, C. L., Chowdhury, S. J., Galfalvy, H., & Goldstein, A. (2025). National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Now 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline): Evaluation of Crisis Call Outcomes for Suicidal Callers. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 55(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.70020 



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