- In April 2017,
rapper Logic released the song "1-800-273-8255." - The title is the number of the National
Suicide Prevention Hotline.
A song by the rapper Logic titled "1-800-273-8255," the number of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, prompted a surge in calls to the line and a reduction in suicides, a new study showed.
The study found that in the 34 days after three events: the song's release; the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards; and the 2018 Grammy Awards, where the song was promoted, the Lifeline got an additional 9,915 calls, an almost 7% increase than the expected number for that time period.
The researchers think the song contributed to a decrease of 245 suicides compared to what was projected for that time span.
"Logic's song '1-800-273-8255' was associated with a large increase in calls to Lifeline. A reduction in suicides was observed in the periods with the most social media discourse about the song," the study concluded.
In a 2017 interview with Genius, the artist said he was inspired to write the song after going on a cross-country tour where he would stop by fans' homes and hang out with them.
Fans told him that his music "saved their life."
"To know that my music was actually affecting people's lives, truly, that's what inspired me to make the song," Logic told CNN on Monday. "We did it from a really warm place in our hearts to try to help people. And the fact that it actually did, that blows my mind."
The study said that reporting on suicide deaths or potentially lethal actions can trigger more suicides, but other suicide-related narratives could have preventive effects.
The study found that following reports on celebrity suicides, there was a 13% increase in suicides. However, the study said narratives like the one in Logic's song that talks about someone seeking help or stories about hope and recovery can also inspire people to seek help.
Researchers noted that in the 28 days after the song's release there was a 10% increase in Google searches for the Lifeline.
"Logic's song likely represents the broadest and most sustained suicide prevention messaging directly connected to a story of hope and recovery in any location to date and is thus a serendipitous event for research," the study said.