Logic's 1-800-273-8255 led to call surge to suicide line, study suggests

The song was performed at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards

A 2017 song by US rapper Logic - named after the phone number of the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - led to a large increase in calls to the helpline, researchers have found.

A new report into the impact of the song 1-800-273-8255 noted spikes in calls for help after big televised performances.

The song is about someone struggling with their mental health.

Its lyrics transform from a message of not wanting to be alive to one of hope.

Singers Alessia Cara and Khalid also feature on the track.

Writing in the BMJ, the researchers analysed changes to daily call volumes to the US lifeline during periods of wide public attention for the song - including after millions watched Logic perform it at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards and the 2018 Grammy Awards.

It found spikes in people reaching out for help - and a possible decrease in suicides in the US amounting to an estimated 245 people.

It found tens of thousands of people talking about the song on social media and just under 10,000 extra calls to the lifeline in spike periods after the song's release and the big performances.

The song sees Logic rap "I want you to be alive" and "it can be so hard, but you gotta live right now" as the music video shows a young man calling the hotline.

Researchers says the study's findings could serve as evidence that media coverage which focuses on "hope and recovery" in crises could help lower suicide deaths.

This potential impact of positive media reporting is less well-known than the Werther effect, named after a tragic figure from literature - where suicides have been observed to increase after high-profile celebrities have taken their own lives.

The phenomenon means that media organisations are advised by health experts to report around the topic of suicide sensitively.

Logic said his song was inspired by fans telling him his music had saved their life.

"In my mind I was like: "Man I wasn't even trying to save nobody's life," he told Genius in an interview. "And then it hit me, the power that I have as an artist with a voice. I wasn't even trying to save your life. Now what could happen if I actually did?"

The music video for 1-800-273-8255 shows a young gay man struggling with bullying and suicidal feelings before calling for help. It has been watched more than 430 million times on YouTube since it was released in August 2017.

Where to get help

If you're in an emergency in Canada or the US, please call 911.

You can contact the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Readers in the UK can get support and more information on emotional distress at BBC Action Line here.