Crisis lines are ready to help on election night as callers surge

On the evening of the Elections 2020Caitlin Ruzycky, a social worker and crisis physician, led thirty conversations simultaneously on the Crisis Text Line.

Some feared for their future as part of the LGBTQ+ communitywhat others were concerned about conspiracy theories or media bias, and some feared the election results would tear their families apart. The texters came from different political and socio-economic backgrounds, varying in age, gender, ethnicity and political affiliation.

Ruzycky was a supervisor of crisis counselors at the time and her job was to support volunteer crisis counselors during these conversations and intervene when necessary. A significant part of her role consisted of de-escalating high-risk situations; suicidality was frequent during this divisive time.

“It was a very politically charged time in 2020, just like now,” says Ruzycky.

These forms of support are needed more than ever: 69% of American adults report that the 2024 presidential election is a major source of stress in their lives, reflecting an increase from 52% in 2016, according to a APA study released this month. More than seven in ten adults are concerned that the election results could lead to violence and almost one in three have experienced tension and distance from their family members.

988, the national lifeline for suicides and crises, had a historic spike in callers on Election Day in 2016, with callers rising about 65% above expectations. According to Dr. Shairi Turner, Chief Health Officer at Crisis Text Line, said Crisis Text Line received a notable increase in text messages during both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.

“We can’t predict what 2024 will bring,” says Turner. But they’ve already experienced an influx of conversations about it election anxietyand they expect it to rise as we do inches closer to November 5.

With the election approaching, crisis centers are gearing up to support texters and callers in need – no matter where they are on the political spectrum.

Crisis advisors are preparing for election night

Although most people will spend time thinking about the election, they can still go about their normal duties. But there are people who are “getting deeply involved in all the turmoil around the election,” Turner says. They may become deeply caught up in the news, withdraw from their relationships and experience insomnia, changes in appetite and anxiety.

At that point, she says they should consider contacting a crisis line, even if support is available, regardless of the severity of the stress. The motto of the Crisis Text Line: “A crisis for you is a crisis for us.”

Angie Anaeme, a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line and a medical student at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, joined the team just after the 2020 election. Now she is preparing for her first election night.

“It can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming on the platform if you have a particularly busy shift or a certain number of conversations going on at the same time,” says Anaeme.

And if you’re having more than thirty conversations at once, you need to know how to “pivot,” says Ruzycky.

While election anxiety brings a wave of texters, the rest of the crisis calls aren’t stopping. Volunteers need to be equipped to move between different types of election calls while supporting people struggling with suicidality, depression, domestic violence and more.

Anaeme expects a hectic night, but is confident in the support of her fellow volunteers and staff to get through it.

‘We are also in the same climate’

While people in crisis are experiencing election anxiety, volunteers and staff are living in the same tumultuous times.

“We ourselves are not isolated from the elections. We are also in the same climate,” says Anaeme.

“That presents a challenge for us as counselors because we have to remain politically neutral,” said Ryan Dickson, director of Crisis Community Services at CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank in Iowa City. “We don’t weigh in on our values, we focus on the person’s emotions.”

For Ruzycky, a crucial part of this is practicing cultural sensitivity and learning to navigate conflicting beliefs.

“I’ll never know what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes. So I can’t understand it, but I can always try to understand it, like, ‘Why would you want to vote for this person?’” she says. “It allowed me to stay neutral about what I believe so I could support my volunteers and my texters.”

Often, those who work at crisis hotlines help each other during difficult interactions. Ruzycky says part of the job is to “help de-escalate some of our volunteers who are feeling triggered by some of these conversations.”

What resources will the crisis lines have?

Crisis lines are prepared to support their callers, texters and first responders.

At Crisis Text Line, the team has developed an election anxiety toolkit with suggestions, ground exercises, tips, and references to outside resources. Supervisors prepare their counselors through role-play scenarios: private conversations in which counselors practice diffusing politically charged situations. Other techniques include helping people in crisis reframe their emotions and prevent catastrophe through cognitive behavior and refined coping skills.

Crisis counselors are also prepared to reduce suicidality, and supervisors are equipped to intervene when people in crisis are at immediate risk of suicide.

Dickson says their appeals to political stress typically don’t lead to suicidal thoughts, but one notable exception was when Roe v. Wade was overthrown. They then experienced an increase in callers with unplanned pregnancies who were contemplating suicide.

“Generally, on a presidential election night, callers are just really scared and don’t know what to do,” Dickson said.

Help is available across the political spectrum

Crisis Lines encourage anyone needing additional support to reach out on election night and beyond. Turner says they’re here for you.

“As crisis advisors, we are not there to influence (texters’) views in any way, to judge the emotions they feel about the election or to change their perception about the political climate,” Anaeme said. “Our main commitment is to them and making sure they feel heard, validated and able to cope.”

If you’re struggling with election anxiety, help is available. Call or text 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by text message “ELECTIONS” or “ELECTIONS” to 741-741.