Follow-Up Care Offers and Acceptance in Crisis Line Suicide Prevention Services

<b></b> <i>Background:</i> Prior work has explored the impact of follow-up calls in a crisis line context, but no research has investigated the offer and acceptance of follow-up care. <i>Aims:</i> To identify caller/call characteristics associated with whether a caller is offered and accepts follow-up services. <i>Methods</i>: This cross-sectional study included data from 55,594 callers to a member center of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988) between 2017 and 2019. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between caller/call characteristics and two follow-up outcomes. <i>Results</i>: Black callers and those with higher suicide capability and intent had greater odds of being offered and accepting follow-up. Longer call duration was also associated with higher odds of being offered and accepting follow-up. Higher suicidal desire uniquely increased the odds of offers, whereas a higher level of buffers uniquely decreased the odds of offers. <i>Limitations:</i> Data were collected from a single 988-member center and cannot be generalized. <i>Conclusions</i>: That one-third of callers do not accept follow-up highlights the need to understand reasons for not accepting follow-up. That callers with higher risk profiles are offered and accept follow-up at higher rates is reassuring and underscores the benefit of tailoring follow-up interventions for higher-risk callers.